Draco's Desires
by Lady Grizabella
Summary: A Ginny/ Draco fic. Harry plays a big role too. Major COS spoiler and some GOF. Draco and Ginny get themselves into an evil situation that threatens to kill them all. Will Ginny be saved from her dark fate? *Revised 3/8/03*
1. Part One: The Introduction To Myself

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Disclaimer: All characters belong to J.K. Rowling. If anything in this story sounds like a quote or similar to a situation in any other fic, it is completely unintentional, and please e-mail me if there's anything questionable.

Draco's Desires

Part One

An Introduction To Myself

*~~~~~*

I am Draco. I am evil. I am the heir to Slytherin. At least I wish I were. I need to be, or else my father will be disappointed in me, so much so that I'm not sure I could ever look him in the face again. He might even kill me if he were angry enough. Now, of course I'm not sure if this is true. Fathers are not supposed to hate their sons, and I doubt my father hates me. But I might hate him. I'm not sure. 

My father is the great wizard Lucius Malfoy. He was one of Lord Voldemort's most loyal supporters and is still a Death Eater to this day. My father says Voldemort will once again rise to power and that the Malfoys must be ready to return to him and give him the loyal assistance he has come to expect from my family. I for one really don't care much. 

Those at my school will tell you differently. They think I'm cruel and evil - at least that's what those Gryffindors would say. I am an enemy of the Gryffindors, and I have no problem admitting that. Always so self righteous and getting all the attention. I come from the Slytherin House, and I figure I just have to be an heir. I wish it had been me who had opened the Chamber of Secrets, but instead it was that little red-haired girl, Ron Weasley's sister. So pretty, so young...but yet she opened the Chamber and was able to perform evil beyond anyone's control. It doesn't matter that Voldemort was controlling her...there's something about her that makes me want her in my possession. Wouldn't it show that ruddy Harry Potter who gets what he wants!

I suppose you could say I'm jealous. I wouldn't tell anyone else that and let them live, but I want nothing more than to be the best - the most important, the most worshiped, the most loved. And Potter is always there to spoil it for me and push me aside. So I am as evil to him as I can be. His friends feel my rage too. Ron Weasley with his temper always flaring. The Mudblood Hermione Granger who knows everything and shows it. I'm not good like they are, and I will never be. There is no room in my family for any good, so I must be purely evil and surround myself with others who are as twisted as I feel. I would have had Harry Potter on my side, but he chose the righteous path and the do-gooders. Well, it's his choice and his alone. He deserves what I give him.

I insulted Weasley's mother the other day, told him that she could do to lose some weight. I have nothing personally against the old bird, but I needed to say something that stung. I know my family is better off than his is, and I want him to know it too. I will be the best someday. So I told him this and he wanted to kill me. And I wanted to fight back and stomp him out and have a victory. But I raked my eyes over the little sister who stared defiantly at me as her eyes welled with tears. I wanted to hurt Weasley, not the girl. Whenever I see the girl I want to grasp her in my arms and make her mine, and even though she is small and powerless I would never hurt her. Never. Her brother is like dirt to me, but her brown eyes are too much to get out of my head. I will have the Weasley child as my own someday. And just let my father try to stop me, even though she's from a poor dirty family who shouldn't even have the luxury of being able to call themselves pure bloods. 

I can't think about this anymore at the moment. I'm not paying attention to my Potions lessons and the last thing I want is to disappoint Professor Snape. I'll just sit here and pretend that that girl doesn't exist. Nothing exists but my mission in this life. To be the best and the most important and powerful. 

*~~~~~*

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Note: The story really gets going in the next part when he starts to gain some contact with Ginny. It moves on better from there. Thanks for reading!

~Lady Grizabella

setsuna_haruka_michiru@yahoo.com


	2. Part Two: Sunshine Of All Kinds

Draco's Desires

Part Two

Sunshine Of All Kinds

*~~~~~*

I lie on my bed in the Slytherin dormitory, trying to do my Magical Creatures homework. That's such a bloody rotten class. Risking my life everyday working with creatures that would kill me, and probably will someday as soon as that giant Hagrid's back is turned. I'll never forgive him for that creature biting me and practically killing me. They all think I wanted the great beast to hurt me, but it was very painful! Well, I almost got even with them all. At least that blasted Hippogriff is dead...I think. Why should I research these creatures? I suppose Potter enjoys getting attacked by strange beasts, perfect little prat that he is. 

*~~~~~*

The only day that Care for Magical Creatures was good was the one day I was early. Crabbe and Goyle were blabbing on nonsensically about some chicken leg at lunch – something about who had it first or whatnot, so I left early just to get away from such pointless jabber. Idiots. Anyhow, I went out onto the sunny grounds, letting my pale hair blow in the wind. It felt good. Even I'm entitled to a bit of simple pleasure, am I not? I wandered over toward Hagrid's pathetic little hut, since I had to make my way over there in about a half an hour anyway, and sat down in the grass a little ways a way. I couldn't exactly go over there for fear of getting trampled or blasted by something.

I was looking over towards the sparkling lake when a flash of red caught my eye. I turned my head lazily to see what it was. The little Weasley girl was running in the sunshine, hair whipping around, playing with a massive boarhound. I held my breath, hoping that it wouldn't kill her, she was so small, but she seemed happy enough. She eventually collapsed and threw her arms around the great furry neck of the dog, laughing with joy. She was so cute and pretty, there in the sun, and I felt a peaceful warmth flow through my body. I sprawled out on my back, but kept my head turned to watch her. I felt the need to scoop her up in my arms and spin her around, laughing. I wanted to protect her and show her the beautiful dark magic.

I suddenly jumped out of my reverie; the girl was running right towards me! She obviously didn't see me and was about to trample me. I sat up suddenly and she skidded in the grass and fell on her bum, looking at me with terror. "You!" she cried and backed off a bit, trembling. She was obviously terrified of me, considering all the things I've said to Potter and her brother. 

I held up my hands, thinking that it would kill me if she ran away. "You don't have to go, you know. I was just enjoying the sunny day." I tried to force the ever-present coldness from my voice. 

She looked at me, a puzzled expression in her eyes. "You enjoy the sun?" Apparently she couldn't believe this, not that anyone else would either.

"Why not?"

"Because…well, just because." She knelt down and wrapped her arms around the dog's neck. I grinned. She was too shy and too kind to insult me. 

"What's the dog's name?" I looked at the boarhound, very much on edge. 

"Fang." She looked at me curiously, as if she wanted to ask me questions but was too cautious.

I then remembered the dog from my first year when Potter and I had taken our detention in the woods. I patted his nose. "And your name?"

"Me? I'm Ginny. Ron's my brother, you know. You're always so mean to him, I'm surprised you don't know my name by now." She glared at me, her eyes and face defiant and proud once again, and she headed off to Hagrid's cottage without looking back.

I flopped down in the grass again. Nice job, Draco…you blew it. She hates you because you hate Weasley. Oh, what does it matter anyway? She's just some little brat. I turned my head and saw the rest of the Slytherins heading towards me. The blasted Gryffindors weren't far behind. I decided that I'd better get out of the grass before they all thought I had lost my mind. I turned my head to watch the girl, Ginny, running towards the Gryffindors. Weasley lifted her up off her feet for a moment, giving her a hug, and then Potter gave her a squeeze too. Granger smoothed Ginny's hair before she tore away towards the castle, her bookbag flying through the air behind her, along with her hair. Oh, to be so close to her and to not even appreciate it. Bloody git, Potter. 

"What are you looking at, Malfoy?" Weasley barked at me, the rest of his little gang glaring at me.

I sneered at them and joined the Slytherins, once again playing the part of the high and mighty Draco Malfoy, the Draco that everyone expected.

*~~~~~*

I flop over on my bed and look at the ceiling. Damn shame, really, being so hated by someone so loved. 

*~~~~~*


	3. Part Three: Comfort At The Yule Ball

Draco's Desires

Part Three

Comfort At The Yule Ball

*~~~~~* 

Ever since that sunny day, I had been keeping my eye on Ginny in secret. That winter, when the Yule Ball was announced, I figured I had the perfect opportunity to make a move. But I had no guts. I had been watching Ginny in the hallways ever since the first day, wanting to ask her to the ball, but I figured I had no chance. She always seemed so nervous around me, so why would she want to go with me to the ball? Besides, I had Pansy Parkinson hanging all over me, so my choice didn't seem too hard. Why pursue a girl when I have one who's crazy about me? Then again, there is the factor that Pansy's bloody annoying, but she looks pretty good. 

So I tried to forget about Ginny, who ended up going with that incompetent prat Neville Longbottom, probably because that idiot Potter wouldn't go with her. I put on my black dress robes and admired myself in the mirror. I didn't look half bad. Pansy and I would make a very handsome couple at the dance…much better than Potter and that shabby Weasley would look. 

I'm not sure how handsome we really looked when you come right down to it. I tried to make a good entrance, but Pansy was gripping my arm so hard I was afraid I was going to loose the circulation in it. I ended up feeling more uncomfortable than anything else all the way through dinner and the first dance. I had to watch Potter up there at the staff table, all smug and important, school champion. I did enjoy watching Potter make a fool of himself at dancing, at least in my opinion. That was the only good thing about the evening yet.

"Let's dance, Dracie!" Pansy pulled me by my arm out onto the floor. I was wincing with embarrassment. _Dracie_?…I wouldn't be able to live that down if anyone overheard her call me that. 

I tried to breathe in Pansy's death grip, looking around at the same time. I could see Potter watching Cho Chang and Cedric Diggory dancing, a look of death on his face. I grinned at this. Aww, poor little Potter. I couldn't even see Weasley. Apparently he was having tons of fun too.

Then I saw Ginny, dancing with Longbottom. He kept trampling on her poor little feet and she was wincing painfully. I wanted to give him a good pop for each time he hurt her. I caught her eye and she blinked at me and then almost cried out as Longbottom clumsily stomped on her. I looked back and tried to breathe, while prying Pansy's hands off my behind at the same time. We were in the same boat, completely - both in pain.

When the dance ended I saw Weasley and Potter head outside. Ginny didn't go with them, having not been asked, the great gits, and Longbottom had disappeared to somewhere. I imagined him going to owl his granny to let her know how well he had danced and what a big boy he was now. Ginny headed to a dark corner and sunk down, resting her head on her knees. Since Pansy had gone to giggle with some girlfriends, I followed Ginny, drawn to her like a magnet.

I crept up next to her and slunk down beside her without her hearing me. She was crying hard, but trying to stifle the sound. I just sat there, not sure what to say, but I knew that Potter was behind this. Somehow he would pay, and I would be the one to comfort her. I wasn't used to dealing with crying girls, but I figured there was no better time to start. At fourteen, I would be a man of the world soon. 

Ginny suddenly seemed to realize that someone was sitting in the darkness next to her. She lifted her head and gawked at me for a minute, but she didn't make any movement to get away from me. I think perhaps she was just too defeated to care if I was there to sneer at her or not. 

I tried once again to drive any of the usual coldness out of my voice. I was so used to sneering at people. "Why are you crying?" I asked as soothingly as I could. I reached over and took a lock of her hair in my hand. It was the first part of her I was ever able to touch, and I figured it was the safest.

She flinched slightly, but relaxed again in a moment. "I'm not crying! I mean, I don't know why. I'm just not having a good night." A fresh flood of tears ran down her cheeks, the small amount of mascara she was wearing smearing slightly, making her look too old for a girl barely thirteen. Without thinking, I wiped the dark tears off her cheeks. 

"Why are you wearing this stuff? Who are you trying to impress, anyway?" I took out a handkerchief and wiped her eyes off. She let me do this with a sort of childish obedience. 

"I w..wanted H..Harry to look at me differently…like he looks at C..Cho. She's so beautiful and I'm small and shy and he'll never want me. He wants Cho and no one else. It's not bloody fair!" She screwed her face up, her pursed mouth betraying her feelings of anger. I hoped she wasn't going to go into hysterics, although it _would_ have been refreshing. 

"You're prettier than Cho." I said simply. I left out the part about how I thought she would look even better with some satin sheets, thinking that she would really bolt then. Dirty minds must run in my family.

She looked at me with amazement, a hot blush lighting up her cheeks, and couldn't seem to think of anything to say to this. Instead she gave me a small smile. "I don't understand why you're so mean to Harry and Ron and Hermione, but not to me. You seem normal and nice enough."

"Maybe it's because they deserve it and you don't." I frowned and crossed my arms in a pout. The band had started up another slow song. She was looking at me like she wanted some kind of explanation. I shrugged uncomfortably. "Look, let's not think about that right now. I don't have decent answers for you. Let's just dance instead." I wasn't sure why I always picked on Potter and the others. Maybe it's because they radiated perfection and good spirits, both of which I lacked at this point. 

She looked very unsure of herself, but she allowed me to pull her up and hold her close to me. I had been trained in dancing as a child, and I had been looking forward to showing off. However, we didn't really dance as much as I just rather rocked her back and forth, trying to make her forget about Potter and Longbottom and everything else that made her sad. She sniffled and clung to me, lost in her misery. But at least she had stopped crying and I had her in my arms and I didn't even have to possess her to get her there. Not that I would have done that. I don't even know anymore. All I _do_ know is that I was blissfully happy at that moment and no one else mattered in the slightest. Ginny was mine…all mine.

Suddenly, a figure in pink was running towards me. "Dracie! There you are! I missed you sooooo much!"

Ginny, panicked, tore away from me and bolted. I watched her small violet-clad form as she ran out into the darkened hall and nearly crash-landed with Neville. That ought to make the big baby happy, I decided. That's the closest he's ever going to be to a girl. 

Meanwhile, Pansy gripped hold of my arm and tugged me out of the shadows and back onto the dance floor. At least she hadn't seen Ginny, so our secret was safe. The last thing I wanted for both my sake and Ginny's was to have a rumor started around Hogwarts about us. 

"Come on, Dracie…let's dance now!" Pansy crooned. Me, I resigned myself to my fate.

*~~~~~*


	4. Part Four: Reopening The Chamber

Draco's Desires

Part Four

Reopening The Chamber

*~~~~~*

I hadn't seen Ginny by herself since the night of the Yule Ball. She always seemed to be with other girls from her class or else with Potter and his group. But they ignored her for the most part. That is to say, they didn't realize how special and important and pretty she was, which made me want to deck them and scream at them to take her with them! Don't ignore her and leave her alone by herself! You would think this would be of a benefit to me, allowing me to spend time with her, but I didn't want to scare her away, especially after Pansy creeped her out at the Ball. Poor Ginny, I'll reckon she's afraid that Pansy would kill her is she was seen with me. Honestly, I'm not so doubtful that Pansy wouldn't. 

With the Tri-Wizard competition coming up, Potter and his gang were even more negligent of Ginny than usual. They were all in the library sorting through books, trying desperately to get Potter ready for the big day. I personally hoped his hair would alight, courtesy of a Blast Ended Screwt. 

Anyway, I was traipsing the halls, passing the time one evening after classes, when I spotted Ginny walking all alone. She looked excitable, glancing around nervously, so I followed her to see where she was going. She pushed open the door to a girls' bathroom and went in. I stopped and grumbled. So she was just going to use the bathroom…and here I thought she was up to something. I was _dying_ for Ginny to be up to something no good. 

I was about to walk away when I noticed she had gone into the bathroom that was always out of order. Why would she want to go in there, anyway? I decided to give her a surprise when she came out of the stalls, and pushed my way in there. Draco Malfoy does and gets what he wants! 

The ghost of a young girl around my age confronted me the second I was through the door. She glared at me through cokebottle glasses and sniffled. She reminded me distinctly of Hermione Granger, except that even Granger was better looking. 

She glared at me. "What are you doing in here? This is the _girls'_ bathroom." The term 'no s**t' came to mind, but I kept quiet. 

"Why do you care, anyway? I'm looking for someone. Did a red-head come in here a few minutes ago?"

"Oh yes, the Weasley girl." She sniffed. "Pretty little thing, but lonely." She gave me a pouty look. "But you can't have her. She's MY friend."

I raised an eyebrow. "Yeah…well…whatever you say." I pushed past the ghost girl to find Ginny for myself. 

"Don't let her go back in the Chamber!" The ghost suddenly yelled at me. 

I turned sharply. "Chamber?" I was all ears now, excitement rising in my stomach and chest. Was Ginny going back to the Chamber of Secrets? 

"Don't let her go. Unless of course you want her to die." The ghost girl looked panicked. "When the Chamber was opened the first time, I was killed by the Basilisk. Harry Potter said so."

Harry Potter again. What does Potter know? I moved out of the little tiled hallway and into the main bathroom space. Ginny was kneeling in front of one of the sinks, staring intently at the piping. She was so intent on looking at it, that she hadn't even heard my bizarre conversation with the miserable ghost. But at this point she seemed to know I was there. "What are you doing in here, Draco?" She continued to examine the piping. 

"Whatever you're doing, Ginny."

She grinned at this. "I was just thinking…well, wondering…about things."

I had to laugh at the way she was always so shy at getting out her words. But my stomach was leaping with excitement as I observed the piping. "Your little ghost friend guarding the door over there says that she's afraid you'll go in the Chamber again." My eyes gleamed. "Ginny, how do you get to the Chamber of Secrets?"

She jumped. "Why do you want to know? We can't go down there. There might be another Basilisk, or worse!"

"Dumbledore told us all that the Basilisk had been killed by Potter. I don't think there's anything to worry about now. And don't you want to see it? Don't you want to look at the glory of the Chamber when you're not terrified?" My father had told me stories about the Chamber as a small boy and I wanted so much to see it. And this little girl could be the one to take me down there. We'd be possessed by the sheer power of it and I would have Ginny, as well as the Chamber, as my own.

"You're acting sick. I don't think it was all that great, Draco." 

"But you were scared and crying and upset. Now you're a bright, powerful young woman!" I think I was convincing her. At least she was blushing a lot. "Now, how does it open? Do you remember?"

"I was under Tom Riddle's control, but I think I do. I remember how to say the words at least."

The ghost swooped down and kneeled beside us, peering at the pipes. "Don't do it, Ginny! I'll go get Harry and he'll come after you again!"

I looked at her threateningly, pulling out my wand. "I wouldn't do that."

"You can't hurt me. I'm already dead," the ghost said miserably, although rather smugly in my opinion. Boastful little freak. 

Ginny smirked, her eyes growing dark and hard. "Like Harry would care much anyway. He likes Cho Chang." She pulled out her own wand, a small 8 inches of a red wood. It suited her well. "Unicorn tail hair," she said to me, running a finger lovingly over her wand. "I hope it's powerful enough to take on whatever we might find down there. And _please_ let the Basilisk be dead!"'

"Ginny! You can't really go down there again! I'll tell Harry!" 

Ginny frowned. "Go ahead Myrtle…we'll just see if he cares! After all, an adventure of my own wouldn't be so bad. I never have any fun, and Ron and the others are always doing something. Besides, what would it hurt now that Tom Riddle is gone?" She looked at me for confirmation. 

Myrtle moaned, but didn't move from her spot. Ginny ran her hand along the pipes. "I'll bet it's still here. I doubt Professor Dumbledore thought anyone would be thick enough to go back down there again. Especially me."

"And if he did think of that, I know a charm to disable blocking spells." I grinned, glad to be a quick study of the Dark Arts. 

She didn't ask how this could be done, or show any surprise. Maybe she was getting used to me and the dark things I did. She just peered at one of the copper taps. She ran her finger over it and squinted. What in the heck was she doing?

She suddenly made a distinct hissing sound that seemed to surprise even herself. She sat down hard on the tile floor and shivered. "Draco, I can't. I just can't!" She was loosing her nerve. 

I looked at her incredulously. "Parseltongue? You speak Parseltongue like Potter?" What a woman! 

She shook her head. "I don't really speak it. I just learned enough while I was possessed to be able to control the Basilisk."

This was a bit comforting. The thought of the Basilisk had me a little worried, but if Ginny knew a bit of Parseltongue, I figured we were up for clear sailing. "Go ahead, Ginny. Do it again and see if the Chamber opens. Don't be scared, because I'll keep you safe."

She opened her mouth and made the hissing sound right at the tap and the sink sank down into the floor, exposing a large pipe. "That's it." Ginny said bleakly. 

"Well, I'm going down!" This was too much for me not to take advantage of. I was never one to let opportunities slip through my fingers. "Catch me if you can!" I bravely dove into the tunnel and started to slide. 

"Wait! Draco!" I heard Ginny call my name and then come hurdling down after me. I stuck my legs out and braced my feet against the walls of the pipe to wait for Ginny to catch up. She came sliding along and smacked into me with her small bit of weight. I laughed and let myself slide again, this time pulling Ginny into my lap to protect her…just in case. She screamed like bloody hell, but I was quite excited. After a few minutes of endless sliding we flopped out of the large pipe and landed in the muck at the bottom. "Oh yuck!"

"Oh, I forgot how messy it was down here!" Ginny was purely disgusted.

"Well, next time we come down we're putting a pillow or something there to catch us without getting all dirty. _Lumos!_" I held up my wand.

She blinked. "Next time?"

I just grinned. 

"Draco, I don't like it down here." She was trembling dreadfully.

I started to feel a bit guilty, despite how excited I was. I pulled her to her feet and wrapped my arm around her as I lead her along. "There's nothing to be scared of. My father is Lucius Malfoy, and nothing would dare hurt me!"

"Tell that to Tom Riddle!" She squeaked, looking around a bit wildly. 

Tom Riddle…Lord Voldemort's old name. Well, I certainly wasn't afraid of anyone named Tom Riddle, but I wouldn't be quite sure what to do in Voldemort's presence. My father may be a Death Eater, but I wasn't sure what I was. I had a nasty picture of the Dark Lord using one of the Unforgivable Curses on sweet Ginny, but as far as I was concerned, this was _my_ Chamber now. He would have to deal with _me_!

Ginny looked at me as if she knew I was thinking conceited thoughts. I nearly laughed as we edged past an ancient snakeskin that hardly existed anymore. Ginny gripped my arm. "That's from the Basilisk!"

"Don't worry. It's dead now." I helped her over some crumbling rocks from an old cave-in.

"See, Draco? This is where Professor Lockhart tried to erase Ron and Harry's memories!" She was starting to become more fascinated than frightened. It was like watching a total transformation right before my eyes. 

We walked a bit more until we came to a solid stone wall with serpent statues entwining on it. "How do we get by here, Ginny?" I ran my hand over the cold stone and the emerald eyes of the snakes, trying to soak up any sweet evil vibes. Ginny walked right up to the wall and hissed at it. The serpents parted, as the wall slid apart down the middle. 

We were then looking around in wonder as we entered the main room of the chamber. "Oh my gosh…look at this place!" Ginny was speechless.

I squeezed her hand and an evil smile slid across my face. "This our place, Ginny. All ours…"

*~~~~~*


	5. Part Five: Escapades In The Chamber

Draco's Desires

Part Five

Escapades In The Chamber

*~~~~~* 

Ginny and I looked around at the splendor of the Chamber. "Ginny, how could you not like it here?" I was amazed.

She gave me a look. "Well, I was being held captive by a maniac, but otherwise…" 

"I guess that would put a damper on things…" I grabbed her hand and pulled her among all the stone columns with the snakes entwining on them. "Do you feel the power here?"

"Well, it _is _amazing." She twirled around, listening to her shoes click on the floor. "You're right, Draco. This isn't a scary place anymore. This is _our_ place!" She lifted her wand and sent out little fire spells so that the Chamber was filled with a warm orange glow, instead of a cold greenish tint from the emeralds. It made it very cheerful, like one of the common rooms on a winter's night. 

"Beautiful, Ginny." I wandered over to the huge statue. "Salazar Slytherin."

"Is that who it is?" She knelt down in-between the statue's feet. "This is where he found me."

I sat down next to her. "I'm sorry you were treated so badly. But now, in our Chamber, Slytherin will protect you always." I wrapped my arm around her. 

She looked up at the statue and smiled. "Maybe you're right." 

"Of course I'm right."

She stood and put her hands on my shoulders. "Draco…you're so full of yourself." She giggled.

"Insult me, will you? You'd better run, little girl. I'm coming after you!" I jumped up and took up an imaginary chase, Ginny as my target. She squealed and ran through the warm chamber, twisting between the columns. I tore after her, my pale hair whipping around, and warmth filling my body. What an incredible feeling having fun was. So this is what youthful romps are like. 

"You can't catch me, Draco!" She yelled. She scrambled down a winding passageway to the right and suddenly yelped.

"Ginny?" I ran to her side and found she was standing ankle deep in a pool with one foot. Water dripped down the stone walls, which glistened with rainbow light. I wondered what was in those stones that made them sparkle like that. "Look at that water dripping there, it's like a waterfall."

"The water is warm!" She cried gleefully. "Oh, let's go in, please?" She pulled her foot out and started to yank off her shoes.

"Are you serious? We'll get soaked." I liked her spirit, but I didn't relish getting sopping wet. 

"Draco, I _must_ go in!" She stripped off her robe and started on her shirt.

"Ginny!" I grabbed her hands. "You can't just take off your clothes." Sure, I admit I had pictured it once or twice, but we were still little children. I didn't think she knew what she was doing.

"I'm not taking off _all_ my clothes, honestly!" She laughed and pulled off her shirt. She was wearing an undershirt, since she hadn't filled out fully enough for a real bra. 

I tried not to look too much. "This is insane…" 

She yanked off her jeans next and jumped into the pool in just her shirt and panties. "Ooo, it gets deeper and warmer further in! Come on in, Draco, the water's lovely."

I shrugged. If she was able to shed her inhibitions, so was I. I pulled off my robe and jeans and tee shirt until I was wearing nothing but my boxers. "I'm coming in!" I jumped and splashed into the water, sending droplets splattering against the walls. Ginny promptly jumped on me and pulled me under. I glubbed. When I surfaced again I splashed her thoroughly. "Brat!"

She giggled and dove underwater, swimming until she surfaced under the water that was cascading down from the stones above. " Draco, this feels so good." She sat directly under the stream and closed her eyes.

I paddled over to her and leaned against her, wanting to be close to her. I sat with her under the little waterfall and just marinated in the warmth. 

Ginny snuggled against me, warm against my chest. "I do like it here." She sighed and started to doze off. 

I myself leaned back against the rainbow flickering wall and closed my eyes, the water spilling over us. I drifted off as well, hugging my little sprite tightly. 

*~~~~~*


	6. Part Six: Arrival Of The Heroic

Draco's Desires

Part Six

Arrival of the Heroic

*~~~~~*

Ginny and I woke up later, feeling very refreshed and energetic, and admittedly rather like prunes. It was worth it, though, since we just felt so good. We climbed out of the pool and pulled on our robes. We didn't bother with our clothing, since it was just so nice to be free in our scanties. We were so busy laughing and singing and jumping around that we would have scarcely noticed if we had been in the buff. Ginny rung out her hair and promptly sprayed me with the excess water. I cackled and tried to grab for her.

This time, she didn't run. Instead, she threw herself into my arms and planted her lips on mine. My eyes went wide. Any other time, I would have thought she'd gone mad, but I was just feeling so happy that I kissed her back without any further thought. 

"Draco…mmmm…" She closed her eyes and wrapped her arms firmly around my neck. I moved with her so that she was pressed up against the wall and just practically kissed her to death. I pinned her arms against the stone and she laughed. She opened her eyes and gazed at me, her eyes slightly green-tinted and glowing. I kissed her again, not feeling very much like a child. 

There was a sudden whooshing sound, and then the sharp point of a wand at my back. "V..Voldemort?" I muttered, terror running through me like I had ice in my veins. I wanted to fumble for my wand, but I was paralyzed, unable to take my hands off of Ginny's arms. 

"Harry!" Ginny cried, but she didn't sound happy. "What are you doing here?"

I turned my head to glare at Potter, who was hovering a bit off the ground on his Firebolt. I pulled myself up to my full height, a whole five feet, two inches. "Do you mind? Miss Weasley and I were busy."

Potter was eyeing both of us, his eyes wide behind his glasses. He was looking at the fact that we were both nearly undressed and that I had Ginny pinned against the wall. It didn't look good for me. He was trembling as he spoke. "You're sick, Malfoy. I didn't know just how sick you were, but now I know. Taking advantage of a younger girl." He was practically spitting fire at me. "Come on, Ginny. Everything will be all right now. Give me your hand and I'll get you out of here and into the hospital wing."

She backed against the wall as far as she could go, shaking. "N..no! I won't go!"

Potter was practically in tears from emotion – from what he thought I had tried to do. "Ginny, it's all right. It's me, Harry. I'll help." He was so horrified.

She opened up her mouth and screamed as loudly as she could. I was really impressed with the amount of sound she could get out of that little mouth of hers. She looked at Potter and screamed and screamed as if he was going to try to kill her. Her eyes were gleaming with unnatural light and she was trembling all over.

Potter ran a hand through his hair. "My God! What did you do to her?!" He looked at me incredulously.

I looked at him calmly. "Nothing she didn't want."

Potter hopped off his broom and delivered a well-aimed punch to my chin. I reeled away from Ginny and rebounded off the wall. Winded, I lay on the ground, trying to breathe. Pain shot up my arm where I had hit, having no clothing except my robe to protect my pale, sensitive skin. 

Potter, meanwhile, ran to the screaming Ginny and scooped her into his arms as if she were a doll, wrapping her robe more firmly around her. "Shhh…you're safe now. I'll make sure he never hurts you again."

Ginny was out of control. She was kicking and trying to strike at Potter, but he was bigger than she was and stronger, little wimp that he is. He must have figured that she was just terrified nearly out of her mind, but I knew she wanted to stay with me. I _know_ it.   


Potter got back onto the Firebolt and sped away through the Chamber, holding Ginny tightly around the waist. I watched as she turned her head to look at me, damp hair flying everywhere. "Draco! Draco!" she cried helplessly, as Potter flew with her out of my sight, out of our Chamber. 

I pulled myself up off the hard floor and looked up at the statue of Slazar Slytherin. The cheerful firelight in the Chamber had gone out as soon as Ginny's presence was gone, leaving the cold green light. Harsh light, unfeeling and frigid. I gazed up at the statue, smiling a little bit. "I'll get her back again, My Lord. We'll both be back." I'm not sure if I was addressing the statue, or Voldemort, or even myself. The voice hardly sounded like mine, and I felt rather possessed. I shook my head, feeling suddenly groggy and headed towards the exit again. 

Harry had used the Firebolt to fly up the pipe with Ginny, but I had my own method. I said a handy little spell and a set of ridges not unlike stairs formed in the pipe so I could climb up. I hauled myself up the pipe, my feet heavy. I realized I had forgotten my clothing, and neglected to retrieve Ginny's as well, but I didn't care. We would be back again, so we could pick them up then. They would not keep us away from our Chamber. I would see to that. 

I pulled myself out of the pipe and the sink slid up into place again. I ignored Myrtle who was sniveling in one of the stalls, and went straight down to the dungeons. As I crawled into bed and pulled the covers over my head, I just prayed that Ginny was safe wherever the perfect Potter had taken her. 

*~~~~~*


	7. Please Proceed To Chapter 8

__

Okay, as of this new revision, I found this chapter to be pointless filler, and I disliked the flow in general, so I decided to take it out completely. Unfortunately, fanfiction.net doesn't seem to provide an option for that (Does it?), so we'll just have to do without a Chapter 7. I could change the chapter numbers on all the other pages, but that's a lot of work and will throw off the nice chapter numbering system we have here. So...please proceed to Chapter 8, and I hope you're enjoying the story!

~Lady Griz

setsuna_haruka_michiru@yahoo.com

3/8/03


	8. Part Eight: Tragedy

Draco's Desires

Part Eight

Tragedy

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

__

Warning: If you haven't read the Goblet of Fire, you probably won't want to read this part. It covers the end of that book, including who died, so read at your own risk. :) 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ginny and I didn't get to see much of each other since Potter barged in on us in the Chamber of Secrets. Ginny had managed to convince the trio that I hadn't hurt her, that we simply went swimming, and that she could do as she bloody-well pleased, but they sure gave me some dirty looks. It was plainly clear that if I ever touched his sister again, Ron Weasley would pound me into a million pieces, and I wouldn't put it past Hermione Granger to unfurl her claws as well. Harry, meanwhile, looked at me as if I had reached a new low, and I was something that was stuck to the bottom of his shoe. Forgiven and forgotten? Hardly.

*~~~~~*

The next time I was able to see Ginny alone was the night of the final Triwizard Tournament. I was glad this ruddy thing was finally ending. I was tired of the constant jabbering about it, and the talk always focused on Potter. I was so _sick_ of Potter. 

When the whole school headed out to the stands to watch the Tournament, I was actually in a very good mood. It would all be over soon, which was good, and Potter might die, which was even better. Well, that is to say he might be maimed or be so scared that he'd call for his mum. Either way, it was bound to be a good show. 

I climbed up into the bleachers with Crabbe and Goyle by my side as usual. I spotted Ginny near Weasley and Granger, and I decided to be spontaneous. I headed up her way. Crabbe and Goyle looked at each other and shrugged. They thought I had been acting odd for a long while now, but they knew better than to question me. 

I gracefully make my way down Ginny's row in true Malfoy style. Much bravado. Crabbe and Goyle stumbled along behind me, but with a lot more pushing and shoving of each other and of innocents. I glared at them and slid in next to Ginny. I wisely didn't wrap my arm around her, since Weasley and Granger were now eyeing me like a hawk. "Hi Draco!" said Ginny and leaned against my shoulder a little bit.

"Watch it there, Malfoy," said Weasley, and the two of them went back to watching for Potter down below. They were too occupied to worry about Ginny at the moment, but I still had to be careful. As soon as the evening was over, I would be their enemy again.

Potter and the champions went into the maze as planned and we listened to Ludo Bagman's commentary. I have to admit that it was enjoyable, and Ginny's squeezing my hand in excitement from time to time just made it even better. 

But suddenly something was wrong. Ludo Bagman was speechless. Both Potter and Cedric Diggory had disappeared as soon as they had touched the trophy. Granger and Weasley jumped up. "Harry!" Hermione yelled.

I stood up on the bleachers and tried to see into the maze. I couldn't see a thing and I wanted to know what was going on. I grabbed Ginny around the waist and hauled her up in my arms to add a little bit of height. "Can you see anything inside the maze?"

She shook her head, trembling. "I don't see a thing."

I lowered her and grabbed her hand. "Come on." I pulled her past Crabbe and Goyle and down from the stands. Weasley and Granger weren't far behind, but they were so worried about Potter that they didn't even notice that I had Ginny. I myself was driven by curiosity to find out what had happened to Potter. 

We stood around for what felt like a dreadfully long time. The teachers were frantic trying to figure out what happened to Potter and Diggory. They were loosing order, but no one seemed to care. I ended up sitting in the grass with Ginny next to me, clinging to my hand. "Harry…Harry…" she was murmuring. 

I sighed and waited.

Suddenly, a scream went up. "Cedric Diggory is dead!"

I nearly retched in horror and surprise. Those were four words no one had expected to hear. Ginny looked stunned, as if she didn't quite understand what it meant. How could someone really die? I wouldn't have even wished death upon Potter. Not really. 

I stood up and clung to Ginny's hand, pulling her forwards through the crowd. All around us girls were screaming and everyone was falling into hysterics. Since I was so small, I ducked down and actually crawled through the grass, nearly between people's legs. Ginny crawled after me in the same manner, following me blindly. We emerged at the front of the pack and I recoiled. Potter was lying on the ground, Dumbledore hovering over him. Potter was clutching Diggory's body and wouldn't let go. He wasn't even moving.

"Harry!" shrieked Ginny. She was gawking at Diggory's body, her eyes wide. 

"Come on, Ginny. He'll be all right." I grabbed Ginny's hand and pulled her away from the chaos. I didn't think it was right for her to be exposed to a dead body. Oh, poor Cedric. 

"No, Draco, what if Harry dies! What if he's already dead!" She was reaching her arm back towards the scene of death and madness. I pulled her firmly towards the school. I couldn't stand to be out there anymore. 

I didn't stop until we were in Snape's classroom. I didn't want to risk going anywhere else. I trusted Snape more than anyone, even if no one else did. I sat down on a desk and Ginny sat next to me. She swung her legs idly, trembling. "Draco, it's so horrible."

I closed my eyes. "Yes. It is horrible. Ginny, I'm sure Harry will be fine." I couldn't believe my own words. I had called him Harry. And I had said something good about him, besides. But it made the dark expression on Ginny's face lighter, so it was worth it. Besides, I wasn't beyond human feelings, was I? I didn't want anyone to die. Harry might be a great git of a boy, so perfect and loved, but he was a friend of Ginny's. 

Ginny suddenly looked at me. "I'm going to the Chamber. Right now."

Who was I to say no to her? "If you'd like, we will go."

*~~~~~*

We wasted no time getting down there. As soon as we were into the main Chamber, she leapt into the pool, not even bothering to take off her robe. I stood on the edge and watched her swim. I was amazed at her drive to go swimming, but she seemed much calmer as she floated in the water. At least _she_ was calm…my stomach felt like it had lead in it. Someone was dead. Dead. I closed my eyes, my insides burning. I had to make the pain stop somehow. I gave a mighty leap and went plunging into the pool. I immediately felt better as the warm water ran through my clothes and my soul. The sadness drifted away and was replaced with feelings of freedom and power. 

We floated in the pool silently until we were starving. Only then did we crawl out and head into the main part of the Chamber again, our shoes squishing from the water inside them. We stood in front of the statue of Slytherin, dripping wet, and looked up at the face. "Long live Slytherin," I muttered without thinking.

Ginny, beside me, looked up at the statue. "Long live Slytherin," she repeated. I saw her eyes flash green, but didn't think a thing of it. I looked back up at the statue and the eyes glowered down at us with a green sheen. Ginny and I had identical grins on our face. We turned in unison and headed back towards the pipe, our wet robes dragging after us. 

Once we were back up in the castle, everything was over and it was quite late at night. We met Snape who was prowling in the hallway. He looked over us, soaking wet, muddy, and disheveled. "Draco," he said softly, "a lot has happened tonight. Get down to the dorm and get into bed. I'll take care of her and then send some food to you." He took Ginny's hand and nodded at me.

"You won't hurt her?" I didn't trust anyone with my Ginny, not even Snape.

"No, I will just see her to Gryffindor Tower and make sure she is given something to eat."

Ginny waved sleepily. "'Bye Draco." She walked off with Snape, clutching his hand, as if he were her uncle, not someone everyone feared. She was so sweet.

*~~~~~*

The next few days were a blur. I vaguely remember sitting at the Sytherin table and toasting Cedric. We were supposed to toast Potter next, but I couldn't do it. Cedric was dead, Potter wasn't, it just didn't seem right. Maybe part of me wanted Potter to die. I was supposed to be jumping for joy at the fact that Voldemort was back, but I couldn't see the loss of Diggory. It would have made sense for Potter to die, at least. But Diggory? Talk about being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The shapes swirl and shift as I complete the last day of my fourth year. Packing up my trunk in my dungeon dorm. Embracing Ginny before she gets onto the Hogwarts Express. Finding a compartment with Crabbe and Goyle. Bothering Potter and his friends in his compartment. Feeling rage and sneering something about how now that Voldemort was back, Harry would be the first to go. I hated him at this moment, hated him for being alive! I then found myself saying that Potter would actually be the second…after all, Cedric had been the first. My words sounded so cold and I don't know why I said them. I don't remember anything else after that, since I was struck by a multitude of curses and was knocked out for hours. I deserved it too, for what I said about Cedric. I didn't mean that. I don't know what part of it I meant. I just felt so drained and confused and almost scared of Voldemort. At that point, I was glad it was Cedric and Potter, but not I. I deserved it.

I woke up later in the corridor of the train coach, hex marks all over me, and as I stumbled towards my father I could think of nothing but getting back to the Chamber of Secrets with Ginny. Of taking away the pain…

*~~~~~*


	9. Part Nine: Travels With Ginny And Her Va...

Draco's Desires

Part Nine

Travels With Ginny And Her Valiant Protector

*~~~~~*

Summer was monotonous and lonely for me. My father was away for the most part, and my mother was pale and worried. I asked her what Father was doing, but she wouldn't tell me. She claimed she didn't know. But I believe she did. Perhaps it had to do with Voldemort, and she was trying to protect me. Well, I didn't care much anyway. I knew I was more important and more powerful than the Dark Lord was, if only I would have the chance to prove it. And I needed to swim in the pool in the Chamber of Secrets. Sometimes it's all I could think about. So I set about owling Ginny, a plan in mind. I will let her narrate the next part, since it takes place while I am at my home and she is at hers.

*~~~~~*

__

I was lying in bed, trying hard to sleep. Ever since the tragedy at Hogwarts I hadn't been sleeping well, and had even slept in with my mum and dad or my brother some nights. I know that's ridiculous for a great girl of thirteen, but I had bad dreams. I don't like being alone. I love my family, but I wished I were back at Hogwarts so I could be near Hermione and Harry and swim in my pool with Draco. 

I curled up tighter under my sheets, trying to get comfortable and to force the horrible mental pictures out of my head. I covered up my head with my hands to block bad things from getting in. I debated crawling into bed with Ron. 

Suddenly, I heard a tapping on my window, which startled me. I nearly cried out, but I stuck my head out from under the sheets and saw a huge owl outside the window. My eyes went wide and I crawled out of bed, throwing the latches so the window could open and the majestic owl could fly in. He perched on my bed and held out one leg to me. I noticed the parchment tied onto him. "For me?" I almost never received mail, and especially not from such a beautiful owl.

I crawled up on the bed next to him and undid the letter. The owl sat on my lap and I stroked his soft feathers as I read it. It said:

Darling Ginny,

I am simply dying to see you, and to visit our Chamber again. I can not wait until school starts up once more so that I may feel your hand in mine. I will be going to Hogwarts on Saturday to reclaim our realm. I would be honored if you would come with me on the return to the Chamber. I will meet you on the grounds in front of the castle on Saturday evening if the fates allow. I await seeing you again.

Yours,

Draco Lucius Malfoy

PS: Bring your bathing suit 

__

I smiled. He wrote such formal letters. I considered this invitation and there was nothing I could think of that I wanted more. I would go, and I didn't care what anyone thought. I moved the owl and quickly scrawled a response to Draco, while the beautiful creature ate a few of Pig's treats. I then fastened the reply to the owl's leg, snuggled him once, and climbed up on the windowsill in the open window to let him free. Once I was up there, I was scared since it was high, but I didn't want to get down even once the owl was out of view in the darkness. I let the wind blow through my thin nightgown, chilling me to the bone. I hugged myself, and pictured myself soaring through the air, towards the ground, dashing against the hard earth. The thought scared me and thrilled me and made me dizzy. I had been having these sorts of thoughts since I returned home. I wanted to fly, I wanted to die, I wanted to be…free!

Suddenly, strong arms clasped me around the waist and gathered me up, getting me away from the dangerous window. "Daddy…" I murmured and snuggled against him.

"My little girl. Oh, my poor little girl." He cradled me. He thought I was going to jump. He thought I was mad. "Don't scare us like that, Ginny. Please don't leave us, my sweet child." He must have been so worried. I had never known him to be so passionate. 

"I was just seeing the owl off." I yawned.

"Yes, of course. The owl." He didn't ask questions, but he carried me into their room so I could cuddle up next to Mum. He figured I would be safe there. My poor lovely parents.

*~~~~~*

__

The next day, Harry and Hermione came for a visit. Hermione was only staying for a couple of weeks, but Harry had come to spend the rest of the summer since his aunt and uncle didn't much want him. Who wouldn't want Harry?

Harry and 'Mione arrived at about the same time. When I saw them coming, I ran out of the house and threw my arms around them, practically bursting into tears. Harry lifted me off my feet, hugging me tightly. Ron had told him all about how much the last year had affected me, and I think Harry thought he was partly responsible. I had been rather neglected at the end of the year, and he wanted to make it up to me. I didn't care so much about that. I was just so glad he was there. I always felt safe when Harry was near me. "I missed you both," I sobbed.

"Hey, you're okay!" Harry grinned at me. My other 'big brother', so sweet when he wanted to be. I clutched their hands and pulled them inside so that Ron could get a piece of them too before I devoured them both. 

We spent several lovely days talking, playing Quidditch, eating tons of Mum's cooking (she never cooked quite this well for us!), and acting like goons. I was almost a bit sorry to be secretly leaving for Hogwarts the next morning, but my drive to get back to the Chamber was great, and I missed Draco. 

I said goodnight to everyone as if I would never be seeing them again. Then, practically in tears, I fled up to my room and packed up a small backpack. I don't know why I felt so upset. Maybe it was because I had never gone anywhere by myself and I didn't know what would happen to me. Plus, I was very close to my family. "Just a couple of days, Ginny. Then you'll be back. You just need to spend some time in a place where you feel energized, with someone who's crazy about you." Feeling more determined, I changed into fresh clothes and dozed for a bit.

Early in the morning, at about 4:30, I woke and prepared to leave. I had decided to go out my window and try to climb down the side of the house. Thank goodness I knew how to cast a ground-softening spell just in case. Of course it would have to work first… Braving it, I had one foot out the window, when I heard a voice from the doorway.

"What are you doing, kiddo?" Harry was gawking at me, wearing pajama bottoms and no top. He had a glass of water in his hand, explaining why he was awake. I sucked in my breath. Gosh, he looked good. 

"Um, I'm just climbing out my window. You know… for fun." Damn, that was lame, Gin.

"Come off it, Ginny. What are you really doing?" He wandered over to me, noticing the backpack. "Are you running away?"

"No, not really. I'm just going to Hogwarts."

"It's summer. I love Hogwarts too, but you'll have to wait 'till September. I suspect it will be rather lonely there all by yourself." He smiled at me, his eyes showing amusement. 

I felt irritated. "What do you know, Harry? I want to go to Hogwarts, so I'm going! I'm not a child and I won't be lonely." 

"Look, I know things have been hard lately. But Voldemort is out there somewhere." I still winced at the name. "And you can't just go off in the middle of the night."

I stuck to my guns. "I'm going."

Harry sighed. "Well…all right. But you just stay there. I'll be right back. Don't move, now." He sped out of the room, black hair glistening in the moonlight. 

I sat on my windowsill and grumbled. I supposed he was going to tell my parents, or at any rate Ron and 'Mione. I didn't relish the thought of anyone knowing. The last thing I wanted was everyone running all over the country looking for me. I waited for Harry to come back with the troops. 

*~~~~~*

Back to my meager existence. I wasn't sure if Ginny would be able to make it out of her house, with all of them watching her like a prisoner and all. But I still waited for a response from her. It wasn't long before it came. 

My owl swooped into my dimly lit bedroom and I removed the letter from his leg as if it were the most delicate thing. I unwrapped it and read it.

__

Dear Draco,

I do want to see you. I really do. I will try to get away from my house, at least for a couple of days. Can't wait to see you on Saturday as long as everything works out! 

Love,

Ginny

I pressed the parchment to my chest. Oh, she said she loves me! I could hardly breathe. 'Love, Ginny.' 'Love.' Does she mean it? Or do all girls sign their letters with 'love?' Is it just a female thing? Maybe I should sign my next letter with 'love.' Did she think my letter was cold? Of course not! Otherwise, she wouldn't have said 'love!' I rolled over on my bed and giggled. Yes, Draco Malfoy, giggling. Oh, I'm a happy boy. Hee.

*~~~~~*

__

I sat on my windowsill for the longest time, feeling irritable and sleepy. But all of a sudden there was a swooshing sound outside the window. I started and practically tipped out backwards, but someone caught my wrist. It was Harry, and he was on the Firebolt, hovering beside my window. "Ginny, Ginny…you'd get yourself killed if I weren't here." He grinned.

"Shut up, Harry." But I was grateful he hadn't let me die, so I smiled at him. "What are you doing? You're such a nutter!"

"No more than you, Miss 'I'm Going to Hogwarts in the Middle of the Summer.'"

I smacked at him and missed. "No, seriously, what are you doing?"

"We're going to Hogwarts, just like you wanted. Climb aboard." He gestured to the area on the broom directly in front of him. 

"You're going with me?"

"Of course. At least until you realize how harebrained your idea is, so we can come home." 

I smirked. "You're in for a long trip."

"I don't mind. You can't go alone. You may as well have company. Besides, you would have killed yourself trying to climb down to the ground."

I opened my mouth to chew him out, but decided not to. After all, he was right. "Okay, you can come." He reached over and pulled me safely onto the broom. I settled down in front of him, grasping the broomstick tightly. I didn't have a whole lot of experience in flying and we were very high up! "So…how fast does this go?" I'd never been on the Firebolt in open air space.

"Fast enough. But I'll keep a close grip around you. We'll be fine. But we need to wear this." He pulled his invisibility cloak out of his own backpack that he now toted. He pulled me back against him and wrapped the cloak up over our heads and around my front so that we were both covered well except for our faces. I shivered having never been this close to him before. 

I was impressed. "This is a good idea. I know there's some kind of law against underage wizards flying across England and Scotland." I could never keep track of all the things we could and couldn't do. The bottom line is that we really couldn't do much of anything legally. 

"It'll keep us warm too, in the wind." He wrapped one arm firmly around my stomach and gripped the Firebolt with his other one. "Hogwarts, here we come!" 

We were suddenly speeding over the countryside faster than I had ever traveled before. "Harry!" I yelled, quite stunned at the sheer speed of the Firebolt. 

"It's fast, but you get used to it. Then it's really fun."

And it was fun! I was soon laughing as we soared through the air towards Hogwarts and the early morning sunshine. 

*~~~~~*


	10. Part Ten: The Naughty And The Nice

Draco's Desires

Part Ten

The Naughty And The Nice

*~~~~~*

I was lounging around on the Hogwarts grounds near the lake. I sprawled out on my back and rested my arms behind my head. I blew a piece of white-blond hair out of my eyes and watched the sun setting beyond the Forbidden Forest. It was a beautiful evening, but I was having a hard time relaxing. My limbs felt antsy, wanting the freedom I had in the Chamber. Patience, Draco. You'll get into your pool before the night is out. 

I heard a rustle in the grass and suddenly Ginny was on top of me. Literally. She had sprawled out fully on my prone body. "Ahhh!" I was so surprised I yelled out.

"Hello, Handsome!" She giggled and ruffled my hair.

"Hey!" I flipped over so that _I_ was lying on _her_. "Problem, Pipsqueak?" 

Someone else cleared his throat. I turned my head. "POTTER!"

"Malfoy…" Potter glared down at me. 

I rolled off Ginny, needless to say. "What the hell are you doing here, anyway?"

He quirked an eyebrow. "I could ask you the same thing." He looked at Ginny. "You didn't say Malfoy was going to be here."

She smiled. "Well…you didn't ask."

He grunted. "Now I'm really glad I came with you. You never know what this…thing…will do next."

I gave him a mock hurt look. "Aww…Big Bad Potter hurts my feelings so much! Ha!" I laughed. "Don't worry, Potter. Join the fun. The more the merrier." Oh, just wait until I get him down in the Chamber! 

Ginny was looking at us both with irritation. "Okay, I came here to meet you, Draco, and you, Harry, came along because you wouldn't let me go by myself like I was going to. So, since we all seem to be here together let's try to make the best of it." She smiled at us both, blinking those huge brown eyes with the dark lashes. We were buckling under the pretty girl pressure. 

Potter eyed me uncomfortably. "As long as HE behaves himself."

Big prat. "As long as HE doesn't complain about everything we do."

"Agreed!" Ginny took both of our hands in hers and shook them. I suppose it was a substitute for Potter and I actually shaking hands with each other. 

I then decided it was time we got down to business. "We can't very well waltz up the steps and head in the front door, now can we? So I propose we go underwater and swim up into the pipes until we come to the girl's bathroom."

Ginny was puzzled. "Like Moaning Myrtle?" 

"Precisely. Are you in, Potter?"

"You know, it wouldn't kill you to call each other by your first names…" Ginny was relentless. 

"Fine, _Harry_, are you in?"

"In what? Swimming up some pipes? Dandy, if you like that sort of thing."

"Don't be a big shot. If you're coming with us, you have to shut it. Remember?" How did I get into this? I pulled out my wand and prepared to mutter a spell that would put the three of us into a bubble. I've always been told that my spells are highly advanced for my age, and I was using this to our benefit now. "When I say the spell over us, we should be incased in a protective bubble until we're out of the water again. Hopefully we can find a way up into the girl's bathroom."

"Draco, you're out of your little mind!" Potter shook his head. 

"Fine then. If you don't want to go, I certainly won't make you. Go on home, Harry." I took Ginny's hand and we headed towards the pool. Potter followed along, grumbling. Why didn't he just go home!

Ginny and I looked into the depths of the lake. "I think I know where to go. Myrtle has described it to me before in detail. Too much detail, in my opinion." 

"Good! Ready to go?" I took her hand and raised my wand. By then Potter was with us again. "You still here?"

He gave me a sulky look. "Do you think I'm going to tell Ginny's parents that she was killed doing something crazy with you? I'm staying with her whether you like it or not." Ginny and I looked at each other, eyebrows raised. My, he was a nutter...and just too damn persistent! 

Anyway, I was sick of arguing with the kid. I pulled the two of them close to myself so that our chests were almost touching. (I personally preferred Ginny's chest to Potter's but that's beside the point.) I swung my wand in the air, muttering the spell, and a tight bubble formed around us. "Whoa, whoa…" I muttered as all three of us lost our balance. We tipped over into the water and started to sink to the bottom. Miraculously, the bubble worked and we stayed completely dry. 

Potter looked up through the bubble and tried to touch me as little as possible. "This brings back unpleasant memories…" He was thinking of the Triwizard competition of course. "What do we do now?"

"Watch and learn, Potter." I touched my wand to the side of the bubble and we started to drift along the bottom in that direction.

"That's fabulous, Draco!" Ginny exclaimed. 

Before long, we were shooting through the lake like a bullet in the direction of the school. We soon came across a stone wall, which was one side of the castle. There was a large sewage pipe imbedded in that wall. "And that must be it..." I propelled us right into the pipe and up into the heart of the school's plumbing. 

Potter was looking around at the slimy walls. He stopped flinching whenever my shoulder would touch his in his thankfulness that at least we were in the clean bubble. Meanwhile, Ginny was chanting, "Ew, ew, ew, ew…"

I muttered an extra charm and bellowed, "BUBBLE! TAKE US TO THE GIRLS' BATHROOM!"

"Could you be _any_ louder?" Potter covered his ears.

"Shut up, Potter." The bubble plunged on through the disgusting piping. 

Ginny soon made an appropriate observation. "We are in the same place everything goes when you flush the toilet!" 

This time both Potter and I looked at her. We didn't much want to think about that at the time. 

Not much later we noticed we were approaching a tiny little pipe at rapid speed. Potter wasn't thrilled. In fact, he was panicked. "Malfoy…er, Draco? DRACO!! Stop this thing!!"

I was watching the approaching pipe with horror. "That's too small for us!"

We had no more time to think. Potter got his arms around us somehow, covering up both Ginny's head and mine. We went slamming into each other as we plummeted through the little pipe. Thinking about it later, I would guess that the bubble shrunk, with us inside, but all I remember was having my eyes closed, Potter covering my head, braced for impact, when we were suddenly lying on the tile floor in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. We all just looked at each other for several moments, amazed that somehow we had survived. It didn't take me long to become haughty again, though. "Well…I knew it would work all the time! Now, wasn't that fun?"

Potter rolled his eyes at me. "Ginny, have you had enough adventure yet?"

Ginny was nursing a bump on her bare elbow. "Well, we haven't gone down into the Chamber of Secrets yet. We want to go swimming."

Potter couldn't have looked more surprised. "We can go swimming anywhere you want! Just not there. I'm not going down there. And you're certainly not going down there with _him_." Potter shook his head. "No way, Ginny."

I kneeled down and started hissing at the copper tap. I was trying to mimic the way Ginny did it, but I could never get it quite right. I could hear Ginny in the background arguing with Potter. "But Harry, you've never swam in water quite like this. It makes you feel so nice!" 

Potter was listening to her and making exasperated noises at me. "Oh, for crying out loud! _OPEN_!" But it didn't sound like that. It was a hiss, just like Ginny could make.

I glared at Potter. Parselmouths…they just think they know _everything_. 

The entrance to the Chamber slid open at Harry's command. "Come along, Ginny. The pool awaits." I prepared to crawl into the pipe.

Seeing that Ginny wasn't going to give in, Harry resigned himself to another trip down to the Chamber. "Fine, we'll give this a try, but you screw up once, Malfoy, and Ginny and I are going to be in Professor Dumbledore's office in minutes." 

We all crawled into the pipe and slid deep down under the school to the Chamber. "Hey boys, do you think teachers are still teachers during the summer? I mean, they don't have anyone to teach. I wonder what they do in this castle all by themselves all through the Holidays." Ginny was wondering aloud at the mention of Dumbledore. 

"Probably the same thing we do," I said. "Eat, sleep, and party."

"Party." Ginny giggled. I myself was picturing Snape wearing one of those "Cat-In-The-Hat" type caps and sunglasses, dancing with a spangled McGonagall in a pair of little hotpants. That was just too much for my blood pressure. 

We all came crashing out of the pipe, landing in a heap. "We have to get the hang of this someday…" I pulled Ginny up by the arm, but left Potter to pick his own self up. "Last one to the pool is a Gryffindor!" I took off.

"Hey!" Potter fumed and tore after me. I laughed and laughed. He just couldn't stand having his pride insulted. 

Ginny muttered, "Children…" and stalked after us.

*~~~~~*


	11. Part Eleven: Children Of The Chamber

Draco's Desires

Part Eleven

Children Of The Chamber

*~~~~~*

I tossed off my clothing to reveal my swimming trunks underneath. No need to change…I was all set! To be prepared is a beautiful thing. 

I plummeted into the water and immediately felt better about everything. Why, I could have hugged Potter! 

Speak of the devil, he was pacing around the edge of the pool. "You know, it really _is_ beautiful here. It's no wonder you both like it so much, with all this rainbow light." Nice of him to try to make conversation.

I paddled over and rested my arms on the edge of the pool. "Why don't you come in? Take your clothes off." 

He hesitated. "I can't just throw my clothes off."

"Why not? Ginny and I did it."

"I'm trying to forget."

"You're too bashful, Harry. Just stick your foot in here. You'll feel different."

"What would this pool do to change my mind?"

I floated on my back. "You'll just be a happier person. Trust me." Trust me. What was I thinking? The git would _never_ trust me. 

Ginny came running down the passage, now clad in a green one-piece swimsuit with a sheer little skirt attached. "Ta-Da!" Potter and I gawked at her. She was small and young, but she would have one hell of a body someday soon. 

She walked up to Harry. "Why don't you come in? You can swim in your boxers…they're like a swimsuit, for the most part, aren't they?"

"Hell, swim naked!" That was my comment, of course, to which I snickered at. I felt like a nutter and was loving every minute. 

He paled. "No…I don't think so." He gave me a 'Perfect-Potter-Look.' 

Ginny hit him with a sad face. "Please?"

He looked at me. I grinned appealingly at him. "Come on, Harry. You're missing all the fun!" I splashed at him.

Some of the water hit him on his bare shins. He looked down at his wet legs and considered. "It does feel like nice water. Why not? But I'm wearing my shorts." He stripped off his tee-shirt and pulled off his shoes and socks. He was obviously broader than I was, and more tanned and muscular. Maybe he wasn't such a wimp. But I was still better looking, in a pretty-boy kind of way. I smirked.

Once he was down to his shorts, Ginny gleefully pushed him into the pool and plummeted in after him. I paddled over to Potter. "So, Harry-Boy…how does it feel?" I wrapped Ginny in my arms as she floated by.

"It's really nice. Warm, but refreshing." A decent description, although I would personally have called it Bliss. 

We horsed around for a bit and then floated around for awhile in silence, soaking up the life and power from the water. Finally Ginny sighed. "I never want to go home again."

"Me neither," Potter murmured. 

Ginny climbed out of the pool and lay on the side, one hand dangling idly in the water. Potter went over to the other side of the pool to explore the waterfall. Ginny and I had discovered a lot of jewels and other pretty objects under the water over there, and I'm sure Potter was regarding them with as much interest as we had.

I used his absence to climb out and lie by Ginny. She rolled so that she was lying half on my chest. "I'm glad Harry came in the pool, aren't you? He's fun."

I nodded. "Actually, I am." We had had a rousing game of splashing earlier, and having Potter there had made it fun. I love a little friendly competition. But I had other things on my mind at the moment. Ginny's face was inches from mine. "Kiss me," I commanded.

Ginny looked into my eyes and hers were tinted with green. "Kiss _me_." 

I grasped her and pulled her down so that I could kiss her passionately. We were no longer children; we were the rulers of this place. Dark Lords. 

This didn't last long. A shove from Potter sent me flying back into the pool. When I surfaced he had Ginny in his arms. "She's mine." He said coolly.

"No, she's mine!"

"_Mine……_" 

But neither of us had said that. The three of us looked up at the ceiling, drawn by this voice.

"His…" said Ginny and pulled away from Potter. 

"His…?" I looked at Potter, who was as drawn as I was. I thought Ginny was _my_ girlfriend. Oh well…the voice was more powerful than we were.

Ginny had risen and was slowly walking towards the main chamber, wrapped up in her warm towel. Potter and I tossed my towel around our shoulders and walked together, following her. Funny, this really didn't seem that abnormal at this point. This voice was someone we had to listen to. 

We emerged into the main Chamber and fell into our places in front of the statue of Slytherin. The three of us knelt down, Ginny a little bit in front of me and Potter, since we were sharing my towel, oddly enough. 

Ginny looked up at the statue and cried out. "Hail Salazar Slytherin. 

"Hail Slytherin!" I yelled without thinking. 

"Hail Slytherin," Potter echoed, but not with quite as much conviction as Ginny and I. I looked at him and saw that his eyes were even brighter green than usual. I knew that mine must be green too. As for Ginny's, hers were like emerald fire. 

She turned and walked towards us, her towel draped around her like a cloak. "We are the Heirs to Slytherin. We must always stay together to protect each other. We are Dark Lords."

"Dark Lords." I clasped Ginny's hand in mine.

"Dark Lords…" Potter grinned maniacally. 

Ginny leaned over and kissed us each in turn, running her hands through our hair. I wanted her like mad at this point. Once this was done, she keeled over and we caught her. She was unconscious immediately. I saw Potter starting to slump over her, his eyes closing. I felt a stab of fear before my mind began to grow fuzzy. We had called ourselves the Dark Lords. Were we really Dark Lords and Heirs to Slytherin? Or were we just playing a game? A game. This was supposed to be a game. A summer swim, and that's all. No! No… I fell forward and then I knew no more. 

*~~~~~*


	12. Part Twelve: The Dark Lords

Draco's Desires

Part Twelve

The Dark Lords

*~~~~~*

When I came to, I had a splitting headache. What had happened? I felt around until I grasped a hand. "Uhh…Ginny." 

The owner of the hand groaned. "It's me, Harry, you prat."

I flinched and removed my hand promptly. "Sorry. Where's Ginny?" I sat up and rubbed my head. I looked at Potter, who looked a little more normal. At least his eyes were back to their normal green color instead of the abnormally bright light they had held earlier. 

Potter sat up and looked at me. "Draco, you have blood on your head. You must have bumped it." He fumbled in the pocket of his shorts and pulled out a handkerchief. "Hold still."

"No! What are you doing?" I tried to scramble away from him. 

"Draco, just sit still and let me help you. For once, let someone do something nice for you!" I sat still, glowering, and he dabbed the blood off my forehead. "It's not a bad cut. Just a scrape."

"But where's Ginny?"

A cheerful voice then called out. "Wakey, wakey, boys!" We both looked up to see Ginny, dressed in a shimmering green robe, perched up on the statue of Slytherin in one of the stone hands. She was reclining on several cushions, sparkling with magic. There was a green light just radiating off her. 

I gawked at her and then looked at Potter. "Harry…I think she's gone. I mean, really _really_ gone."

He was looking up at her too. "I don't know, Draco. Part of me wants to go sit with her up there, and part of me wants to run away. What's wrong with me?"

"I definitely want to go sit with her." Memories of earlier were flooding back. Swimming in the pool and having her in my arms. I had to go up to her. I wrapped my towel around my bare shoulders and headed towards the statue.

Potter grabbed my arm and held me back. "No, Draco. This feels strange to me."

I shoved him off. "Oh, go swim in the pool some more and then join us when you want to play with the big kids!" I looked up at Ginny.

Potter shoved me down on the ground and held me there as I struggled. "Does she _look_ like Ginny to you? What do you think?!"

I looked up at Ginny. Her robes were low-cut and she had let the fabric fall so that one slender leg was exposed. She looked about five years older than she usually did, although she was still painfully tiny. "She looks…bloody good!" 

Potter took a good look at her and his eyes flashed once. "Yes. Yes, you're right. She does." He stood up straight again and walked towards the statue. "Can we come up?"

Ginny smiled down at us. "Of course. And put these on." She tossed down two more green robes of the same shimmering material, only ours emphasized our bodies in different ways than hers did. I could almost imagine that I looked more like a man than a boy. 

I admired Potter's robe and looked down at my own. "These are amazing. Where did you get these?"

"I found them." She shifted onto her stomach. "Come on up." 

We were sold. We eagerly climbed on up there, hormones raging. Soon we were sitting around on the stone hand, a tangle of limbs and green fabric and light. We lay around, talking about evil things and giggling until our stomachs started to growl. "What are we going to eat? I didn't bring anything with me." So maybe I wasn't so prepared.

The majestic Ginny sat up. "That, Darling, is simple. I'll go up into the school and find something."

Potter propped himself up on his elbow. "What if you get caught?" 

"I won't be. Why don't you two go back in the pool for awhile and I'll be back with food."

I pulled off the green robe so that I could go back in the water. "All right. But just be careful, Ginny. You're not immune to everything."

She gave me a wickedly sexy smile. "Oh…I wouldn't worry much." She leapt off the statue's hand, but she didn't fall. She floated to the ground. 

Potter and I peered off the edge. "How are we supposed to get down?" he asked me. "That works very well for her, but she seems to have a lot more power than we do. And it looks a lot harder to get down than getting up was."

I gave him an irritated look. "Come on, Potter. Are you a dark wizard or not?"

He thought about this. "Yes…I am."

"Then jump!" I leapt off the stone hand and floated harmlessly to the ground. Potter wasn't far behind. We tossed off clothing and ran for the pool, laughing in glee at our newfound powers and carefree attitudes. 

*~~~~~*

We had had a nice swim, and a nice argument about who was a bigger prat, and were now lying on Slytherin's outstretched hand, completely spent. My eyes were green again, according to Potter, but his were only moderately brighter. I had been saying "Hail Slytherin" a lot over the past hour and Potter had been trying to shut me up. I wished he would just stop complaining and give in to it. I felt so free and happy, I couldn't believe it. 

We sat up suddenly as we saw a figure approaching us, holding a silver tray with a cover. "Professor Snape!" I yelled. 

Potter nearly jumped a mile and clung to my arm. "What do we do?" What was Snape doing down here, anyway? Had he caught Ginny?

Snape was walking rather stiffly, as if he had something stuck up against his back. All was explained when Ginny poked her head out from behind him. She was clinging to the back of his robes like a little child would. A very evil looking, green-eyed child. She was pressing her wand into his back threateningly. "Hello, Lords! Look what I found!"

Potter let go of my arm and leaned forward. "What are you doing with him?"

"I thought he would make a good servant." Ginny giggled. Snape pursed his lips into a thin line and was silent. She poked at him with her wand and he moved forward. He looked tired and weak, trembling as if he were in pain. I realized that he was probably sleepy, since it was no doubt in the middle of the night. 

I sat up regally on the cushions and Potter did the same. I figured he would be getting a rise out of this, since he despised Snape so much. I, of course, liked Snape, but at the moment I was getting a kick out of him, having been captured by such a small girl. 

Ginny and Snape came to stand in front of the statue and they looked up at us. Snape glared and he distinctly mouthed the word "Potter."

"Greetings, Professor. First off, I would like to welcome you to our Chamber of Secrets. Second off, Potter is not the one running the show here. It is Ginny Weasley and I. Potter is not yet as powerful as we are. So you will address me and Ginny as if we were your lords and masters." Oh, how I loved this! "Ginny dear, please tell us how you managed to get him down here?"

She stepped up next to Snape and grasped his hand in her small one. She grinned up at him playfully and he gazed down at her small face. Was that sadness in his eyes? It certainly wasn't anger. For a moment her eyes wavered brown. "Hello, Professor…what am I doing here?" She looked like she wanted to cry, but her eyes flickered back to green. She smiled crazily. "It was SO much fun, boys! I went up looking for food, but it all seemed like so much work. So _boring_."

Potter flinched slightly. "That's exactly how Tom Riddle said that same word three years ago…only he was describing Ginny."

"Ha. Ginny, boring? Come off it." I turned my head back.

"I wanted to enlist someone who could help us get anything we wanted from the castle. And Snape was prowling around when he should have been in bed. Bad Snapey!" She hugged his arm and he flinched. "So I decided to use him." She laughed gleefully. "So I ran up to him, sobbing and crying as if I had gotten myself in some horrible scratch of trouble. He was very shocked to see me and he said, 'What are you doing here? How did you get in here?' and I said, 'Oh, it was just _horrible_!' and threw myself into his arms for protection. But I took his wand out of his pocket at the same time." She grinned, proud of her newfound powers of feminine persuasion. 

"He looked down at me and lifted my chin. 'Weren't your eyes brown…?' he asked me. It was then that he knew something was up. 'I don't know. Were they?' I asked him and then I pulled my wand on him. I persuaded him to come down here."

"How did you do that?" Potter was watching her with fascination. 

"Oh…" she said indifferently, "I used the Cruciatus Curse." Snape shuddered visibly.

A voice in my head said to me, That is not your sweet Ginny. Your Ginny wouldn't know that curse, and would never use it! Shake out of it, Draco! But I brushed it aside. "I'm so impressed!" And I was.

"So, once he was wandless, and in pain, and knew that I could even perform the death curse on him if I wanted to, he decided to be oh so well behaved! And I just love him!" She closed her eyes and hugged Snape's arm tightly. He was looking up at us like we had something to do with this. No one could believe that sweet little Ginny would be capable of doing anything like this on her own, but she'd bloody show them! I'm not sure that she wasn't even controlling _us_…" 

Potter hopped off the statue's hand and walked up to Snape. He took the platter from him. "Thanks so much for you assistance, Professor." Potter made a haughty little bow and set up our dinner on a large rock formation on the floor. Snape watched Potter, but he didn't give him any dirty looks. In fact, he looked frightened for us, especially for Ginny. He must have had the idea that we were not ourselves. After all, Potter was unusually smug (not to mention hanging out with me), I was being disrespectful to the leader of my House, and Ginny was using the Cruciatus Curse. This was very out of character for all of us. Snape always blamed Potter for everything, but even Potter couldn't have executed such evil. We were just kids, after all, and this was strong dark power. But I'm getting ahead of myself…

Ginny was still holding onto Snape's hand, rubbing her eyes. "I'm sleepy."

"She's going to pass out now," I warned Snape. "She needs to go back into the pool."

"The pool?" Snape picked up Ginny's limp form as soon as she sagged against him. 

"Never you mind!" Potter snapped. "Let's eat, Draco."

"Put Ginny over there on that pile of cushions, would you? We'll take care of her once we're full." I sat next to Potter.

*~~~~~*

So this is what being the Dark Lord is all about. Hanging out in your own special Chamber, playing in a spectacular pool, and showing your Potions teacher who's boss. And we were gaining such spectacular powers, it wouldn't be long until we were the greatest dark wizards in the world. This was turning out better than I thought. Move over, Lord Voldemort! 

Draco Malfoy, Ginny Weasley, and Harry Potter are coming through!

*~~~~~*


	13. Part Thirteen: Fighting The Darkness

Draco's Desires

Part Thirteen

Fighting The Darkness

*~~~~~*

The next day, we were getting pretty bored with staying in the Chamber. We were waiting for something to happen that didn't seem to be coming. Ginny was restless, and spent most of the day talking to Snape. At one point, she set a flowered hat on his head and they had a tea party, much to his chagrin. Maybe she could amuse herself with girlish games like that, but I was bored stiff. I was ready to act on something.

Potter was lounging next to me, draped in his green robe, polishing his wand. He gestured to Ginny and Snape. "She seems happy."

I crossed my arms and propped my feet up on a cushion. "What do you think is up with them, Harry?" I was irritated. Ginny was ignoring _us_. 

Potter sipped his mixed fruit drink that was faithfully fetched by Snape from the kitchen above. "Well, I'll bet that Ginny misses her mum and dad, and Snape is kind of old…I think she's using him for a fatherly figure."

I rolled my eyes. "Such wisdom. She'll be going up for McGonagall next, wanting her mother."

"You're the one who asked." He slugged at me.

I slugged back. "You don't have to be so perfect!"

"You don't have to be so snotty!" He jumped on me.

We were suddenly silenced from a fireball that nearly missed our heads. I let go of Potter's hair and he stopped biting my arm. "Quit it!" Ginny ordered. Damn, she was scary when she was mad. 

I stood up and heaved a great sigh. "That's it. Ginny…(or Slytherin…or was it both?)…told us that we had to stick together and protect each other. When we start fighting amongst ourselves, it's time to get out of the Chamber and go do something!" I brushed my long bangs out of my eyes and looked around for approval. 

Ginny nodded, not taking her eyes off her game of wizard chess with Snape. "I agree entirely. That's why we are going to do just that."

Harry yawned. "But what do dark wizards _do_?"

"They dress in black cloaks and become Death Eaters." I said simply. "But that isn't my style. That's something my _father_ would do." I spit out the word. "We're better than Voldemort is, so we have to accomplish something that he couldn't have done."

Ginny rose. "Precisely. That is why we are going to take Hogwarts." 

My eyes gleamed. "Oh, yes! Perfect!" I leapt down from the statue. 

Snape seemed to come out of his stupor a bit. He grabbed Ginny by the arms and shook her sharply. "Snap out of it. That is not you in there!" Ginny's eyes rolled a bit from being shaken, but she calmly stuck out one pale hand and pressed it to his chest. Snape was hit with a power so forceful that it sent him flying backwards. There was a sickening thud as he hit the wall and was knocked unconscious. Ginny didn't blink, and only brushed her hands together. "Well, that will keep him quiet for a bit. He'll eventually have to be disposed of, but he was fun for awhile." She smiled.

Potter and I were just staring at her. Once again, I had a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach that things were just not right. That wasn't Ginny. I had to do something to stop her. But I wanted Hogwarts. I wanted to be the best dark wizard in the world. My father would be so impressed and frightened of me that he would bow down to me. I lifted my hand and smacked my own face roughly to stop all thoughts of weakness. 

Potter was still sitting on the statue, trembling. I gestured to him. "Come on down, Harry. We have a castle to storm." I didn't want to loose his loyalty. If he were on the teachers' side, he could be dangerous.

He slid off the statue and drifted to the ground. "Yes…a castle to storm." He turned and called up to the statue. "Long live Slytherin!" As his voice rang out, Ginny giggled like mad. Then I started and the three of us were soon engulfed in laughter that made my chest hurt. 

*~~~~~*

Our plan was simple. Overpower the teachers with the threat of hurting Snape, our hostage, and if they still tried to act against us we would use the Unforgivable Curses. Or at least Ginny would. She was a full-fledged evil little thing. I always knew she was. 

Potter was busy binding Snape up with a magical cord which he produced from his wand. I was lurking around the exit of the main Chamber, ready to be on our way. Suddenly, Ginny had me up against the wall. "You look soooo good in that robe, Draco." We were suddenly engaged in another one of our little kissing fests, only this time we were a good deal more violent. A tug on my hair from Ginny made me stop and push her head back a little. I looked at her face, at those green eyes of hers. I think I missed her soft brown ones. "Ginny. Where did you go?" I murmured. 

"D..Draco?" Her lips trembled a little bit and her eyes softened. "I…can't find my way."

"Shhh…" I pulled her close to me and enfolded her in my arms, hugging her tightly. She wanted to come back to me, and I wanted to be normal again. Normal…normal… "NO!!!"

But it was Ginny who had screamed. She glared at me, her eyes blazing green. "NO!!! No weakness, Malfoy!" She struck me across the face and stormed off. "Harry, are we ready to go?" She pulled out her wand. "Let's go, Draco. Victory awaits us!" 

I rubbed my face, stunned. But she was right. We were the Dark Lords. We had to take over Hogwarts and beat down Dumbledore and there was no time for passion now. That would come later, my sweet one. I headed over to Ginny and Potter and pulled out my wand. "I'm ready for Victory. Let's go."

*~~~~~*


	14. Part Fourteen: Siege On Hogwarts

Draco's Desires

Part Fourteen

Siege On Hogwarts 

*~~~~~*

We climbed up the piping into the girls' bathroom, dragging the bound Snape with us. He was awake by now, and trying to coax Ginny into giving up this idea of domination. He had figured out that she was our ringleader and that she was very dangerous. How did she become the leader? I thought I was the evil one. At least I always had been.

"Miss Weasley, you don't know what you're doing." Snape breathed heavily as we climbed up my makeshift steps. "I don't know what happened to you three, but you are all acting insane. You can't take Hogwarts. It isn't possible."

She laughed heartlessly. "Oh Professor Snape…you're so pessimistic! They don't want you to die, now do they? If they don't care and kill us, I'll make sure you go first. Such a shame, really. But if they do want to save your sorry skin, Hogwarts will be ours."

Snape shook his head defiantly. "Miss Weasley…I would gladly die to keep you from getting what you want."

"Shut it! You'll hurt her feelings!" Potter was always the sensitive one.

Ginny did seem hurt. Her lower lip trembled. "And I thought you liked me! Well, _fine_! Maybe we'll just kill you anyway!" 

Snape put a hand on her shoulder, as if in comfort. I'm willing to bet that he was trying to snap her out of her evil delusions by making her cry. Well, good luck, Snape. Ginny was too far gone to let a few tears snap her back to herself.

She knocked his hand off her. "Let me alone." We then emerged from the pipe and we lined up. "Where are all the teachers right now? It's dinner time."

Snape sighed. "They're in the great hall. We always eat meals together, even in the summer." He turned his head, letting his hair fall over his face. He had betrayed them; not that he had a choice.

"Good." Ginny prodded him with her wand and led him through the castle towards the hall. Potter and I followed close behind, our wands drawn and ready for trouble. 

Potter had an idea. "I think we had better gag him in case he decides to yell out for help."

I smiled. "Well, you're the expert in bondage…(this brought forth odd hysterical giggles from Ginny – "Bondage!!")…so why don't you do it?"

Potter sent forth a spell from his wand that covered Snape's mouth with thick cloth. "That ought to shut him up."

"Good thinking, my lords." Ginny pushed him along roughly. For such a small girl, she had amazing strength. The joys of evil. 

*~~~~~*

We reached the entrance of the great hall and peered inside. It looked about the same as during the school year, except that the house tables were nonexistent. It reminded me of the Yule Ball and I wondered if they had dance parties there at night after dinner. I grinned at my cheerful fantasies. The teachers were up at their own table chatting happily. They were wearing robes with short sleeves and were hatless, but otherwise they looked like they always did. They didn't look too hard to dupe. 

Ginny looked at us. "Ready? Yes? NOW!!" She shoved Snape forwards through the doorway and held her wand against his neck. "FREEZE!!!" Potter and I jumped forwards and pointed our wands at the teachers. 

They looked at us as if we had gone mad. And why wouldn't they? We were three kids and, well…Snape. Dumbledore stood up, holding his hands out. "Harry…Draco…Ginny. What is going on? Some sort of game?"

I raised an eyebrow. He didn't seem so surprised that we were there. I wondered if he knew we had been lurking around somewhere. But he did seem surprised that we had Snape. "Not a game."

Harry looked a little sheepish. "Sorry Professor. It's just that, well, we're…taking over Hogwarts."

"Yes, for Salazar Slytherin," I added.

He smiled slightly. How dare he smile! "Slytherin, Mr. Malfoy? And where is Slytherin?"

I glared. "_I_ am Slytherin!"

Ginny hissed at me. "_I_ AM!" 

Dumbledore's intense eyes flickered to Potter. "And you, Harry?"

"Me? I'm…well, Harry Potter." I could see his eyes starting to darken. Damn. He was turning. 

I grabbed him by his arm and pulled him to my side. "He's with us! Now, no more questions!"

Ginny pushed Snape forward and flattened him to his stomach on the floor. "You will all leave Hogwarts right now and never come back, or else Snape gets it, and so do all of you!" Her eyes flashed at them and she dug her wand into Snape's back. He groaned and I noticed the bit of blood on the end of it. I immediately felt that stab of fear again. 

McGonagall stood up and observed Ginny. She decided to use the kind method with her, trying to bring her around again. "Sweet girl…do you really want to hurt everyone?" She looked at her sternly, but with compassion. "Put your wand down and we will take care of you. No one will blame you or hurt you, but you must drop your wand and come to me."

"Take care of me? Kill me, you mean!" She dug her wand into Snape again and he cried out. "No more threats, Minerva!" Ginny had called McGonagall by her first name. For some reason the idea of calling a teacher by her first name was uncalled for. Like I said earlier, I am not above good manners. 

Potter hissed in my ear. "This has gone too far. She's hurting Snape. She's out of control." I just stood there. I wanted Hogwarts, but admittedly, Ginny was giving me the creeps. 

Dumbledore held out his hand towards us. "Harry…come to me." Potter looked up at him, trembling. The power was leaving his body. Dumbledore's eyes were bright blue and good, and now so were Potter's.

"Professor?"

"It's all right, Harry. Come up here." 

I let him go and he headed towards the staff table.

Ginny jumped up and ran at him. "Traitor! Get back here!" She made a grab at him, but I held her back.

"Don't bother, Ginny. We don't need him." I glared at the teachers. "You can't stop us! He was just one, and practically useless! We're not giving up and you can't stop us." I was starting to feel weaker and weaker. What was happening to me? 

Dumbledore pulled Harry up onto the platform and hugged him close. "It's all right now." He kept his arm around Harry's shoulders and gazed down at me. "Draco. You don't have to do this. Come up here to me."

And I wanted to go. Oh, how I wanted to go! I wanted to run to him and be hugged and be cared for like my father hadn't done in so long. How many times had I tried to run to him as a child and been pushed away? Affection was something I was always hungry for and at that moment I was starving. I gripped onto Ginny. "I want…I want…" 

"Come here, Draco." He smiled and reached out his hand to me. 

I took a step forward, ready to go, to end this. I heard Ginny give a horrible yell of rage and suddenly the words rang in my ears. "_CRUCIO!!_" I fell to the floor screaming at the top of my lungs. Make it stop! Make it stop!

There was a scuffling all around me and the pain suddenly ceased. I was whimpering when Dumbledore turned me over and gathered me up in his arms. He was remarkably strong for such an old duff. I clung to him, feeling very confused and torn. "Ginny! Ginny!" I cried out. "I need Ginny!"

"Ginny is gone." Dumbledore looked down into my face with a sad expression.

"No! You didn't…you didn't _kill_ her did you?"

"No, Miss Weasley saw all of us running at her and she fled. The Cruciatus Curse was broken, freeing you."

I tried to glare, but couldn't do it. "I'm evil…I'm Slytherin…I'm taking over Hogwarts…" My eyes were growing terribly heavy. "I'm evil…I'm Slytherin…" I drifted off to sleep then, completely exhausted. The power was slipping away from me, but I didn't care. I needed to sleep. But before my mind went completely dark, I had a frightening thought. Ginny had _become_ Slytherin. 

*~~~~~*


	15. Part Fifteen: Blame

Draco's Desires

Part Fifteen

Blame 

*~~~~~*

When I woke up, I felt like I had been pulled through hell and back. I opened my aching eyes and squinted against the light. The first person I saw was Granger. "Hermione?" I groaned.

She turned and looked at me. Her cheeks were streaked with tears. "Oh, Malfoy…what have you done?"

I lay back and let my own tears slip down my cheeks. "I don't know." What had I done? Oh God. Soon I was sobbing hysterically.

Granger fidgeted uncomfortably. "Well then…don't cry…it can't be as bad as all that." She felt sorry for my pain. I found this almost sweet. 

I turned my head to the side, mouth open slightly. I was so wracked with sobs I could hardly breathe. We were in the hospital wing. Potter was lying on the bed next to me, asleep. He must have felt the same exhaustion I had. Granger had been sitting in a chair next to his bed. I wondered where Ron was. Even worse, where were Ginny's parents? Draco, you've really screwed things up this time, ruddy bastard. You should have never pushed her into opening the Chamber again. What did you think would happen, anyway? You didn't even stop to think that Tom Riddle might have planted a little something down there to entice the next generation of kids into joining him. 

Dumbledore and Madam Pomfrey walked into the room at this moment. Dumbledore came to my side and squeezed my hand. "I know you're scared and upset, Draco, but everything will be fine. We will find Ginny again and everything will go back to normal. All three of you will be able to enjoy the rest of your summer before the start of the first term, but you must help us in order for that to happen."

I tried to breathe and choked. Madame Pomfrey quickly poured a warm sweet potion into my mouth and my sobs quieted once I had swallowed. "H..How can I help?" It was so hopeless. 

You need to tell me all that has happened over the past few months between you and Ginny."

I gladly related the whole sad story, so glad that I could finally get everything off my chest. I related how I had been interested in the Chamber of Secrets, how I convinced Ginny to open it, how we accidentally discovered the pool that makes you feel free and wonderful, but also makes you evil. I made it clear that Ginny had never wanted to go down, and neither had Potter. Ginny had gone because her brother and her friends had ignored her, and Potter had gone down to protect Ginny. It was my entire fault. 

Dumbledore listened, smiling kindly the whole time. "But Draco…why did _you_ go down?"

I immediately felt anger boiling up inside. "Because I wanted to be better than my _father_!" I spat. And I wanted Ginny. But I would never admit that to him.

Dumbledore nodded. "You've done well, Draco. I promise you that everything will be fine." He left the room and I lay back on my pillow, still too tired to think any more.

*~~~~~*

When I came to again, I heard angry dialogue outside the door. I looked over at Potter's bed. He was awake now, and he looked back at me with a worried expression. "The Weasleys are here," he whispered. The two of us nodded at each other and we headed to the door, pressing our ears against the wood to listen. 

The woman was talking in a high pitched, nearly hysterical voice. "Where is my daughter?! How could this have happened?!"

"Please keep calm, Molly dear…the Ministry has scouts out all over England and Scotland looking for her. They'll find her."

Dumbledore tried to sooth her as well. "Arthur is right, Molly. They will find your daughter."

The woman would just not be calmed. "But how could this have happened? One moment my baby is safe in her room, and the next minute she's gone!"

Mr. Weasley explained to Dumbledore, "Harry left us a note telling us that he and Ginny were taking an unexpected trip and that he was sure they would be back later in the day. It was rather odd, but Ginny has always been one to play by herself, and we trust Harry with her life. So we weren't worried at that point. We figured they went out for an early morning walk in the woods or for a swim." 

A swim. We took a swim all right… 

"But then our clock on the wall showed that Ginny was at school, as impossible as that is."

"We thought the clock had broken," Mrs. Weasley cut in.

"So we didn't think much of it. But then they didn't come back, and the clock switched to mortal peril."

"Oh, my baby!" Ginny's mother cried.

"We didn't even have time to act before we received an emergency owl from you, Professor, telling us that Ginny was in a stitch of sorts. We apparated here right away." He sighed. "We had no idea it was this bad. She tried to take over Hogwarts? What can she be thinking?"

Dumbledore cleared his throat. "You daughter is not herself anymore. We have reason to believe that Voldemort has gotten to her, making her believe the spirit of Salazar Slytherin has possessed her. What she has done is not her fault."

Mrs. Weasley was livid. "How could she go back down into that Chamber after what happened to her the first time? And what was she doing with that…that…BOY anyway?"

At this, Dumbledore chuckled. "Dear Molly…I hardly doubt your daughter was trying to get herself into such trouble. You have raised six children before her, and you know how teenagers are. I think the two young ones were just looking for a place that was private…a hard feat in a boarding school."

There was a silence, but then Mrs. Weasley spoke, her voice choked with tears. "You're right, Professor. She's growing up and we don't even notice. If anyone is to blame, it's me. I smother her."

Suddenly, Ron's voice broke through. "It's my fault too. I exclude her."

Potter opened the door and ran out to Mrs. Weasley. "No! It's my fault, Mrs. Weasley! I never paid her enough attention. I was too busy thinking about the Triwizard Tournament."

A voice spoke up from the corner of the small room…Granger's. "Oh no! It's all my fault! I should have been more of an older sister to her."

The twins were pacing around in the background. "We shouldn't have teased her so much," Fred muttered. Or was it George?

I was sick of this. I burst into the room, the green robe I still wore flaring around my shaky legs. "It's my fault! I loved her too much." 

They all gawked at me. I wanted to crawl down under the floorboards. "I mean…it was my idea to open the Chamber. I wanted to be alone with her. I…loved her too much." I suddenly realized that I did love Ginny. It wasn't just teenage hormones…I really cared for her. 

Mrs. Weasley hesitated for a moment, but then she smiled softly. She walked towards me, and to my surprise, she hugged me. "Thank you. Thank you for loving my daughter too much."

I looked at Dumbledore, completely floored. The woman was batty, but it was still nice to be held so. I missed my mother.

*~~~~~*

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Note: OMG…I have over 100 reviews, and all of them are lovely! Thanks so much!! I just wanted to add something about this text. I know Mr. Weasley said that they apparated to Hogwarts, but I know you can't do that in the Hogwarts grounds. In all truth, they apparated as nearby as they could, and hiked the rest of the way. It was still the fastest mode of travel for them. I suppose the boys and Hermione might have taken floo powder to some nearby place since they can't apparate yet. Well, anyway…they got there somehow. lol Just wanted to clarify that. :) Next Chapter: The beginning of the hunt for the evil Ginny!


	16. Part Sixteen: The Hunt For Evil Ginny

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Note: Book 4 starts to come in a little more at this point, so you might not want to read this unless you've read the end of GoF. I tried to avoid it, but the way this is going, you should know what happened to Harry in that book. But hey, you've probably all read it anyway. :) BTW, it's just going to get scarier from here…

Draco's Desires

Part Sixteen

The Hunt For Evil Ginny 

*~~~~~*

Once everyone had decided that it was some evil wizard's fault (most likely Voldemort's), and not Ginny's and Potter's and mine, we spent some time getting every last detail across to each other. I was very nervous in the presence of my little sprite's parents, but they wanted to know every little thing that had happened, everything said, and everything done. Meanwhile, we were waiting for news from the Ministry of Magic as to the whereabouts of Ginny. 

Mr. Weasley had gone to the Ministry to help, since it was his child who was likely to be armed and dangerous. It wasn't long though before his head appeared in the cool flames of the fireplace in the little waiting room where we had communed. (Since it was summer, the flames had no heat. It was lit for communication purposes alone.)

"Arthur! Did you find her?" Mrs. Weasley let go of my hand and scampered to the fireplace. We all did, in fact. If the situation had been any less serious, we would have looked quite comical, all of us gathered around a talking head in the flames as if it were the most interesting thing we'd ever seen.

"We haven't actually located her yet, Molly, but she's somewhere in the countryside near London. We do know that she is riding on a broom. She's already been spotted by countless Muggles. We have wizards out performing memory charms left and right. No one has been hurt as of yet, though."

"She must have my Firebolt," said Harry. He was Harry to me now…we'd gone through too much for me to think of him as 'Potter'. Being evil together gives one a feeling of intimacy that last names just can't match. 

"That would explain why she's so hard to track. She's moving too fast."

I snorted. This was such a waste of time. What did the ministry know? I would have more chance of finding her myself. We would sit around forever waiting for _them_ to do something. I elbowed Harry. "Hey…gather your troops and meet me in the Quidditch equipment room." Harry looked confused, but nodded. I slipped out of the room and headed out of the castle, breathing deeply of the fresh air. A new day was dawning. Ginny had been on the loose all night, running blind, scared. Or maybe she was enjoying herself, full of evil glee.

I waited around in the locker room, pacing. Where were they? How long did it take three kids to make excuses and get down here? Finally, Harry, Ron, and Hermione drifted in, looking strange and scared in their tee-shirts, shorts, and sneakers. We all looked so different in the summer, I thought. More human, really. Harry had pulled off his green robe, and I was tempted to do the same. We had been wearing clothing under the robes for our Hogwarts siege. The robe certainly was pretty, but it had an evil aura to it. I slipped it off my head and tossed it aside. Maybe another day…

Hermione fidgeted. "Draco…what are we doing here?"

Ron frowned. He wasn't going to trust me for a second. "This is no time for Quidditch. My sister is somewhere out there!"

I smirked at him. "We're hardly here to play. I say we go find Ginny ourselves. You know Ginny, Harry knows Voldemort, and I know Evil. She shouldn't be too hard to find."

Harry suddenly doubled over in pain.

"What's wrong?"

"It's my scar! It's aching terribly all of a sudden!" He grabbed his forehead. 

Hermione looked positively green. "That means that Voldemort is on the move. The scar pains Harry whenever Voldemort is nearby."

"He must be after Ginny. Let's move!" I whipped out my wand and blasted the lock on the supply door to smithereens. 

Hermione blanched. "I don't even want to think about how much trouble we're going to be in when they find out what all we've done."

"Granger…" I paused. "Take a broom, honey!" I shoved a broom at her and then I realized what it was. "Ugh! It's a Cleansweep!"

Ron looked at the brooms in disdain. "We'll never catch her on these. She's got the Firebolt."

"Well, we have to try!" I yearned for my Nimbus Two Thousand and One sitting at home in my bedroom. I knew Harry was aching for his Firebolt too, the way he gazed at the Cleansweep. We gents were awfully sentimental about our brooms. 

Ron was quite used to a Cleansweep, so the broom actually behaved for him. As for Harry and me, our brooms acted as if they wanted to buck us right off. Hermione almost took a tumble a couple of times. She may have been excellent at book smarts, but she was no flyer. I grabbed her by her hair at one point to keep her from diving into the air, and she screamed. 

"Sorry, sorry! I didn't think you would feel it anyway, with the mat you've got up there!" 

"Shut it, Malfoy!"

We were all getting along splendidly. 

*~~~~~*

Once we all got used to our brooms, we were rocketing along quite well. We had managed to get caught in a lovely wind, so we were moving almost as fast as the Firebolt, although perhaps not as gracefully. Harry just got worse and worse, so we figured we were getting closer. Eventually, he was in too much pain to fly anymore, so we abandoned his broom and I took him on the back of mine. He gripped me around the waist and moaned. "Hang on there, old boy. She can't be far now."

"Dad said something about looking for You-Know-Who in a little village near here. They think it's where he is hiding out. Something about the Riddle House," said Ron. 

Harry squinted down at the countryside. "This is familiar. I've been here before."

"The Riddle House?" I wondered if Voldemort was hanging out at his old house, where his father lived when he was Tom Riddle. "But wouldn't the Ministry have checked there already?"

"They have. They haven't found anything. But You-Know-Who is tricky, isn't he? Maybe he could get around the Ministry." Ron was pale. 

Harry spoke through his pain. "Or maybe he wants to be found…"

My heart gave a leap. "I'll bet he does. I'll bet he wants us to find him. He has something up his sleeve." We soared down into a large field to rest. 

Hermione looked around. "So what do we do? Just wait for them to come to us?"

"You have a better idea?" I smirked. We were quiet for some time, before coming to an agreement. "Why don't we go to the Riddle House and fish them on out?"

Harry was lying on his back in the grass, breathing hard. His head was aching. "Fish out Voldemort?"

"I am _not_ scared of Voldemort!"

"Have you ever actually met Voldemort?" Harry glared at me. "It's not fun, you know."

I flushed. "Not exactly…but I'm not afraid of anything! I'm a Malfoy! He wouldn't dare hurt me!" 

Ron rolled his eyes and pulled Harry up off the ground. "If you're so sure, Draco, you can go in first!" 

I gave him a smirk and we headed off in the direction of the little town. Once we arrived we managed to pry some information out of the villagers, such as the name of the little town, which happened to be Little Hangleton, and the location of the Riddle House, a great manor on a hill, in much disrepair. 

"I wouldn't go up there though, if I were you, Son," an old man told me. "The place is the scene of a murder from long ago, and there's all sorts of strange sounds and lights up there. A man was killed up there only last year. You don't want nothing to do with that house, understand?" He patted my head and swaggered into the local pub. 

I looked at the others. "Well, that just about means that something's going on there, now doesn't it?" Ron and Hermione nodded, but Harry was peering at an old cemetery down the road a bit. "What is it, Harry?"

"I've been here. This is the place where I last encountered Voldemort." He wandered down the road and through the cemetery gates, his mouth open, gawking.

We followed along cautiously. "What exactly happened to him that makes him look so frightened? He's practically trembling."

"Long story," said Ron.

Harry came to stand in front of a large sinister looking tombstone. The inscription read 'Tom Riddle'. "Voldemort's father is buried here. I was tied to this tombstone, right here." He was shaking.

I whispered to Hermione. "He's not mad, is he?"

"If you'd been through what he's been through, you'd be shaking too." 

I silently agreed with this, and I had a sick feeling that I would be shaking too by the time this evening was over. I grasped Harry's arm. "Come on, then. Let's go to the Riddle House and see if Ginny's there." As I dragged Harry away from the tombstone, a high pitched laugh broke through the silence of the dead. I spun around and immediately felt the other three grip onto me. I clung back. Something was materializing on top of the stone. 

A pale figure dressed all in green shimmered into focus. It had flaming red hair and dark, dead looking green eyes, but they were now slanted like a snake's. Its lips were bright red, as if they were made out of pure blood. A green snake was draped around its bare shoulders, where its robe had slipped off them. It smiled at us evilly, and I could see two small fangs. It was Ginny…or at least it had been at one time. Now it was exactly that…IT.

*~~~~~*


	17. Part Seventeen: The Child

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Note: This part is pretty dark, just so you know. It's not really all that violent, but just twisted. Highly sensitive people might be affected by it, but I'm not sure. I'm highly sensitive, but I managed to write it. lol I don't think it's any worse than the end of Book 4, but I just thought I should warn those who are really faint of heart, especially when it comes to babies. (And no, she does NOT murder a child. Quite the opposite, actually.) I just wanted to clear this up before I got a lot of flames telling me it was "sick" or something. Thanks!

Draco's Desires

Part Seventeen

The Child 

*~~~~~*

The four of us stood gaping, clinging to each other desperately. I could feel Hermione's legs give out and she collapsed into the overgrown grass next to my feet. Harry was in terrible pain and was trying not to moan. Ron looked like he was in shock.

The tiny creature that had once been Ginny stood up on the tombstone. She ignored us completely and swooped down from the stone. She glided through the graveyard, light on her bare feet. She was beautiful and mesmerizing, even though she was the most terrifying thing I had ever seen. I feared her and I wanted her. I wanted to take a little bit of that power from her, but I wanted my Ginny back more than anything. I would give up all the power in the world to hold something that was sweet and good.

We didn't speak; we just let our feet carry us. We followed her, pulling Hermione, waiting to see what she was doing. We had our wands out to either stun her, or defend ourselves if the need should arise. We didn't want to act hastily, since we didn't yet know exactly what she was capable of. None of us wanted to hear the sound of rushing death by acting irrationally. 

Ginny headed into the little section of the graveyard for children. It was ancient, filled with tiny tombstones, crumbling stone angels, and dead flowers. She knelt down in front of one of the newer looking graves, and the snake slithered off her shoulders and curled up around the gravestone. 

Ron choked. "What is she doing? Oh God, what is she doing?"

I was equally shocked. "I don't know." We were all too terrified to move. 

Ginny pulled out that precious little wand of hers, although it now radiated with an evil green light. She stuck the end, still coated with Snape's blood, into the dirt above the grave. The earth around the wand started to vibrate. Ron broke free from us and ran towards her. "Ginny! _Don't_!"

She calmly turned to him and threw her hand out towards him, her palm facing him. "Do not approach," she hissed. 

Ron obeyed. He backed up until he was with us again. He sunk down next to Hermione, his teeth chattering.

The dirt shifted and the ground beneath us tilted. Harry and I grabbed Ron and Hermione under their arms and pulled them backwards with us. When we looked back, there was a gaping hole in the ground where the grave had been, and Ginny was bent over it, reaching for something. Soon she was pulling something out of it. It was a small bundle, wrapped in rotting cloth. A baby. I was so sure I was going to be sick. I leaned on Harry. He was making gasping noises. Soon the air was filled with horrified screams, but I couldn't tell if they were Hermione's or Ron's. Or mine.

Ginny cradled the lifeless child as if it were her most treasured possession. She looked at us all with those slanted green eyes and pranced through the graveyard again, the snake right at her heels. She climbed onto the Riddle tombstone, clutching the baby, and disintegrated into nothing.

As soon as she had gone, I took off running and threw myself behind one of the graves, immediately being sick. I rested my head against the cold stone and tried to regain my breath. It's all right, Draco. It's not Ginny. It's not her. We'll get her back and everything will be righted.

I felt a hand on my shoulder. I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand and looked up. Harry was standing there. "Did you see what we saw? She was so much like Voldemort."

I nodded. "We have to find her. And make the thing that did this to her PAY!" I was so full of furry, I could have taken on the Dark Lord and all of his Death Eaters single handedly. 

*~~~~~*

We headed to the Riddle House in silence, too shocked to speak. Had Ginny really pulled a baby out of the earth? And it had been dead…at least I think. What could she do with a dead child? I shivered. So this is what it was like to be Harry Potter. Not as keen as you thought, eh Malfoy?

We wanted to sneak in as quietly as possible, so we found a broken downstairs window that Ron could just fit through. "When do you think the Ministry will get here?" whispered Hermione. "We might be able to take on Ginny by ourselves, but surely not Voldemort. He'll just kill us without a second thought!"

I sat on the ground next to Harry, who was in agony. I touched my wand to his scar and started muttering under my breath. I answered Hermione between spells. "We can't worry about them right now. Hopefully Ginny will be alone for us to deal with and they can have Voldemort." I continued with my mutterings and Harry started to look less pained.

"Ohh, thank you. That's so much better, whatever you did."

"Well, we'll need your help and you're useless when you're flopping around moaning and groaning." I stood up and peered in the window. "The coast is clear." I tried to pull myself up, but to no avail. I looked at the three of them sheepishly. "Er, would one of you mind giving me a boost?" Damn this shortness!

Harry gave me a knee up and I fell through the window and landed on the floor with a thud and a cloud of dust. "Oof!" How graceful of me. Anyway, this was not the time for ceremony. I reached out the window and grasped Hermione's hands, yanking her up. Ron and Harry pulled themselves up next and we were in.

The Riddle House was quite nice inside, although dust covered the antique furniture. I had the feeling that doom was in every corner, despite the splendor of the old house. It reeked of death and dark magic. I would be relieved when we found Ginny and got her home. Some of us are made to be evil and others of us just aren't meant for it. I just wish I could figure out which one _I_ was. 

We crept through the house, growing more and more uneasy. It seemed to be deserted, except for that feeling of dark magic in the air. "Someone's here. I can feel the magic in the air. It's the same kind of feeling I always got when I went into the Chamber of Secrets."

"Listen, do you hear something?" Ron hissed. "It's Ginny. She's singing."

Harry and I took one look at each other and broke into a run down the hallway. This was dumb, I know, plunging ahead like that, but we thought she was back to her old self again. "Ginny! Where are you?" I yelled. 

The sweet singing continued and swelled in dynamic and pitch. Harry and I pelted into a dim, hot room, lit only by a raging fire in the fireplace. The room was small and stifling and we gasped for breath. Ginny was crouched on a pillow right in front of the fire, holding the little bundle. It was indeed a baby, very sweet looking and perfectly formed with a head of raven black hair. I'm sure it hadn't looked like that when she pulled it out of the grave, since it had been dead for years. She must have done something to reform it. But it was indeed dead.

Harry clutched my arm. "Draco…the baby looks like…"

"You," I finished. 

We watched as Ginny set the baby into the fireplace, right in the midst of the flames. The child did not burn, even though the flames lapped at it. The fire sputtered with magic and red sparks flew out, covering the baby. "That must be what is reforming it."

Harry was shaking, watching her. "How can we convince her to leave with us?"

"And how can we fix her so that she looks like Ginny again? She looks like a snake right now."

By this time, Ron and Hermione had caught up to us. "Oh my God…" Hermione sputtered, gazing at the lifeless baby in the flames.

We formed a line in front of the door, a terrified and sweaty group - the heat was so intense. I decided to address Ginny. "Ginny, can you hear me? It's me, Draco. And I've brought Harry and Hermione and your brother. We're going to help you."

She turned to me and narrowed her slanted eyes. They had no expression in them. In fact, they had no pupils either. "It's sleeping." She told me. Her voice was raspy and had a hiss to it, like a snake's. 

I looked at the baby. "Leave it, Ginny. It's not alive anymore."

She swayed back and forth a bit. "There is no Ginny. I am Salazar Slytherin. And it is not yet time for the child to wake." She reached a hand into the fire and stroked the baby's face. It was so precious, and so sad that I gave a dry sob. I turned to Harry and the others and gave them a helpless look. "She…she thinks it's alive."

Harry made a frustrated noise and looked away. The baby just looked too much like him.

Ron was growing desperate and faint in the intense heat. "Can't we just grab her and go?"

I took a step towards Ginny, but she let a low hiss escape her mouth. Harry and the others looked at each other. "She's calling for something in Parseltongue," he said. "I didn't catch what."

I suddenly felt the blood drain out of my face and I felt very dizzy. "Don't…move…" I said to the three of them. "The snake is behind you."

They looked down at their feet and saw the large snake curling around their ankles. Hermione gave a great shudder. Harry muttered a name. Nagini. 

"Nagini," Ginny repeated and hissed at the snake. It lifted its head and hissed back. She ran her fingers over the baby's closed eyes. I thought I was going to pass out. I had never felt so much terror in my life. Snakes. Dead babies. Salazar Slytherin. I was shaking like Harry had in the graveyard.

Ginny rose and walked to us. She ran her hand over each of our faces. "The Dark Lord will soon be here. Prepare yourselves for the Birth."

I reached out my hand to touch her face, but she hissed at me. "Do not touch. You will die." She pressed her lips to mine and she felt cold. So very, very cold. 

Suddenly, she drew back and crouched by the fire again. There was another presence in the room. The figure that swept in was dressed in a majestic ink-black cloak, with a hood. At first I thought it was a Death Eater. My heart hammered. "F..Father?" I gasped.

"Not quite, young Draco…" the figure rasped. He lifted his hood enough to reveal red eyes, slanted like Ginny's and the snake-like nose with the flat nostrils. I dropped to my knees in front of him and wrapped my arms around myself. "Voldemort?"

He struck me. " 'My Lord', to you, young Malfoy!" I gazed up at him, trembling with fear. I could hear Hermione fighting against her screams behind me. Somehow, Harry reached out his arm and pulled me backwards along the floor, never taking his eyes off the Dark Lord. Voldemort regarded us all with amusement. "Welcome to my father's house, young fools. I _do_ hope you are here to stay for some time. Not that you will have much choice in what we do here." I craned my head up to look at him, my mouth slightly open. I marveled at the fact that he sounded very much like me. I wondered if I kept on the way I had been going, would I look and sound exactly like him someday? I shivered. He continued, "Nagini, young Miss Slytherin, the Unborn and I thank you for your presence, and your patience, of course." A low laughter erupted from the terrifying figure. "But now I believe it is time for a little nap while we prepare for the Birth." He walked over to Hermione and Ron, placing a hand on their heads. They immediately screamed and collapsed on the floor, unconscious. A small trickle of blood ran from their noses. I retched.

Harry tried to defend them. He pulled out his wand. "_C..Cruci_…" Voldemort cut him off by shoving him against the wall. "I have no time to deal with you right now, Harry Potter." He slapped Harry across the back of his head and he dropped down onto the floor, out cold.

I found my voice somehow. "Stop! Leave them alone and you won't get hurt!" I was pointing my wand at him, my hand shaking. I was sweating in my tight shirt and jeans and I was wishing I were anywhere but there. 

"_You_, hurt _me_? Oh, young Malfoy, such spirit. Very much like your father. Now, perhaps if you're a good boy, I'll spare your life. Would you like that? Now, sleep." His hand flew out and it landed on my forehead, cold as ice. My head suddenly felt like it had been split in two and I screamed. Before I knew it, my head hit the floor and I was gone.

*~~~~~*


	18. Part Eighteen: Birth And Death

Draco's Desires

Part Eighteen

Birth And Death

*~~~~~*

When I next opened my eyes, what struck me as odd was the fact that I was standing up, instead of lying down. But I wasn't exactly standing on my own. In fact, I was chained to the wall. All four of us were. Ginny was bent over the fire, and Voldemort was not present. The snake, Nagini, was frightening enough and more than made up for her master's absence.

I turned my head to look at Harry who was tied up next to me. "Harry, we have to get out of here. I have a very bad feeling about this."

He struggled in his bonds, but it was useless. Our hands were chained above our heads and our legs were spread and fastened apart in a most undignified manor. I teased Hermione to try to lighten the tension. "Hey Granger. Looking good there!" I winked at her.

She actually smiled weakly at me. I guess one last laugh before dying was all right.

Ginny was kneeling on the floor, laying pillows on an old table. She then took out her wand and tapped it on the top. A ring of fire sprang from her wand and surrounded the pillows. She then went to the fireplace and crouched there next to the dead baby, waiting.

It wasn't long before Voldemort entered the room again. We immediately started to squirm in our bonds. What was he going to do? I closed my eyes, fearing that my own death was rapidly approaching.

"Slytherin, bring the Unborn." Voldemort stood behind the table with the pillows. Ginny leaned into the fire and gently lifted the baby. She unwrapped it from its cloth, leaving the poor little thing quite naked. She placed it on the table and stood next to Voldemort. We watched in horror. I was afraid he was going to eat it!

On the contrary, he seemed to be as pleased with the baby as Ginny was. He lay his white thin hands on it and started to chant under his breath. I stared at the baby, waiting to see what would happen to it. I could hear Harry's labored breathing next to me. Why didn't he just kill us and get it over with? I couldn't stand this waiting.

Voldemort reached down and took Ginny's hands. He placed them on the baby, next to his. He kept muttering the strange spells and the child started to glow vaguely. Ron yelled out. "Hermione!"

Hermione had started to glow too. "W..What's happening to me!" She started to struggle. 

Ginny focused her dead eyes on Hermione. "Life-force of Hermione Granger, come to me." She extended a hand and hot white light was sucked out of Hermione. It poured out of her mouth, her eyes, her ears, even her very arms and legs. She screamed, but it was a panicked scream, not one of pain. Still, it was terrifying to watch. Ginny was going to kill her! Drain her dry!

But she stopped before Hermione was dead. She folded her hand around the ball of light that had gathered in front of her, and it disappeared into her body. She closed her eyes and blew the light out of her mouth over the baby. It was absorbed into the child's body and his chest rose once. I gasped. That was surely just the lungs expanding from that bit of air…it couldn't have come back to life. I looked over at the others. Hermione had slumped in her chains with exhaustion. Ron had tears in his eyes and was trying to coax her back to health with sweet words. I felt rather moved. 

Voldemort smiled at us. "Let's see…why not give Harry Potter a taste?" He held out his fist towards Harry. "Life-force of Harry Potter, come to me!"

Harry shuddered from head to toe. "Fight it, fight it, fight it…" he was chanting to himself under his breath. 

Voldemort started to draw the life out of Harry. His energy was bright blue and lively, and it put up quite a fight. The light tried to bounce all over, and refused to fly right to the Dark Lord's fingers. Voldemort glared at it and had to use his other hand to help contain it. Harry put up a noble mental fight, trying to keep his energy, but soon the heat and the strain were just too much. He hung his head and the blue energy surrendered. Voldemort licked his lips as he absorbed Harry's life. "Almost a shame to have to use it up so quickly." But he blew it out onto the baby. The chest rose again. I think it might have whimpered.

"Life-force of Ronald Weasley, come to me!" Ginny called and threw out her hand. 

"Ginny! Don't! Stop it!" Ron started to yell as his life was gradually sucked out of him. His was a reddish color, the color of his hair. And of his fiery temper, I would gather. His head fell against Harry's shoulder as he lost the strength to hold it up anymore.

By now the baby's chest was rising and falling. It was trying to open its eyes and mouth. My own eyes were huge as I stared at it, as it fought to live by using the life-power of these three people.

Voldemort then turned his attention to me. "And now young Malfoy." He gave me a wicked smile. "Your life-force is bound to be the most useful out of all these little human sacrifices who fell into my net." He walked out from behind the table and glided towards me, his red eyes boring into mine. I shifted my gaze, trying to look at anything else. I focused on Ginny who was gripping the table, breathing very heavily. She looked like she was running out of energy and fast. She had put so much of her power into the baby.

Voldemort reached out and pinched my chin with his fingers, lifting my head up roughly so that I was staring deep into his red eyes. I dared to speak. "Why is mine the most useful, My L..Lord?" I stammered. 

He smiled. "Dear boy, your soul is pure evil. And so this child will be as well. With your dark soul, combined with mine and that of Miss Ginny over there, I will have someone to carry on in my wake. Someone who will love and trust and _obey_ me." 

"You mean…an heir?" Those slitted red eyes mesmerized me.

"Yes indeed, Malfoy. A child of my very own, a dark child who will serve only me and fear nothing."

I tried to buy as much time as I could. Where were those Ministry idiots? "If the child is going to be evil, My Lord, why did you take the life away from them?" I gestured to the others with my head, as the rest of my body was immobilized. 

"They all had a little bit of what the child needs. With the Mudblood's intelligence, the Weasley brat's temper, and Harry Potter's spunk, he will have the endowments he deserves."

"But won't their goodness get in the way?" My head was swimming in those eyes, in the heat. I was afraid I was going to pass out at any second. 

He leaned down closer to me so that our noses were almost touching. "Dear child…he will be mostly you. You…and…_me_." I tried not to throw up. 

He backed away from me. "So, I will be draining the most life-force from you. All of your evilness, jealously, and cruelty will be put into this little body for the good of the Dark Arts. Aren't you proud, young Malfoy? Your father certainly was."

My head jerked up. "My father?"

Harry groggily lifted his head. "What does his father have to do with this?"

Voldemort stood behind the table and twirled his finger around a strand of Ginny's hair. "Why Draco, your father suggested you. Why do you think he let you go back to Hogwarts in the middle of the summer? He knew what you were up to, playing in the Chamber. He thought it would be good for your family to use your dark tendencies for some good, rather than waste them all in that school where clean magic is taught. Do you think just anyone could have gone down into the Chamber of Secrets without being killed? Only the most extraordinary wizards can enter it without being overtaken and destroyed by the dark power planted there. You and Ginny were supposed to go back down. You are drawn to dark things, the two of you. Harry Potter was an added bonus."

"But…Ginny. Why Ginny?" I could hardly force the words out of my mouth. 

"Ah yes…the lovely Ginny Weasley. She's beautiful, isn't she? Young, but destined to be a great beauty once she gets over her childish…awkwardness. Tom Riddle took quite a fancy to her, so who else would be better to raise such a dark child as mine?" So that was it. She was supposed to be this baby's mother. 

Harry cried out. "Tom Riddle didn't like Ginny! He used Ginny! He called her boring and almost got her killed!"

"She was just a child then, now wasn't she? Look how she's grown and matured." He lifted a slender finger and slid it down one of Ginny's cheeks. It left a dark streak, as if it had burned her white skin. She didn't even flinch as he did this. It was as if she had no life left in her at all. She just stared straight ahead at me with those dark green snake eyes. 

"Ginny…" I moaned.

"I'm so glad you liked my pool. Tom Riddle created it three years ago while Ginny was held captive down in the Chamber of Secrets. He thought it might prove…useful some day. How right he was. How lucky to have captured the same little butterfly in his web! That proved that she was the one to look after my child." He leaned over and kissed Ginny's cheek. I shuddered at this, my teeth chattering. How dare he touch her! Ruddy sick bastard!

Voldemort smiled at me. "Well, I think it's about time, Draco. I will tell your father goodbye for you. How proud he will be, knowing that his only son gave up his life for our good."

"What?!" He was going to _kill_ me? "You didn't kill Harry and the others!"

"Oh, they will die. Trust me on that. They will hang there until their bodies give out from having so much of their life-force drained away. But you will be snuffed out before you even know it. You should thank me, really."

"But I don't want to die!" I planned on being bratty right until the very end. "You won't dare kill me! Why can't you just take some of my life-force? How much does one baby need?!" I tried to stomp my feet, but I was chained very well.

"Well, it was not my first desire to kill you, but I'm quite afraid it will happen anyway. And after all, you can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs, so they say." He chuckled at this Muggle phrase. 

I struggled like mad. "Let me go! Let me go! I'll tell my father! You'd better let me go right now, or you'll be sorry!" I think my brain had snapped. I didn't even know what I was saying. I was horrified at the stream of childish threats exploding from my mouth, but what else could I do? I was going to be killed!

Voldemort threw out his hand and cried out, "Life-force of Draco Malfoy…COME TO ME!!"

I suddenly felt like I was being pulled violently forward, but I wasn't moving at all. It wasn't painful, but I was scared. I could feel energy draining from me bit by bit. And the energy was black. Dark, black, and evil. So this is what I was made up of? Maybe it was best if I _did_ die. 

"Fight it, Draco! Somehow, fight it!" Harry was yelling at me through the haze of rushing energy I could hear in my ears. 

"Too weak…I'm too weak…" I didn't say this, my brain did. I couldn't force any sounds out of my mouth at all.

"Fight Draco! FIGHT!" This word rang in my mind. Fight. No, no fighting now. I felt so deeply sorry. Sorry for everything.

Mental pictures flashed into my head. I was dying. They always say your life flashes before your eyes. But I didn't see my life. I saw people. My mother. "Mother…I was never a very good boy. I was stuck up and spoiled. I'm sorry! Please don't hate me! I love you." I heard a "zap" and a cry of surprise from across the room.

Hermione. "I'm sorry, Hermione! I don't care if you don't come from a wizarding family. You have just as much magical talent as anyone, maybe even more!" My mind cried out my remorse. Zap! What was that noise? My body jolted whenever it happened. I was dying! This had to be death. I screamed louder, my brain feeling like it was going to explode.

Ron. "I don't hate you, or your parents! Who I really hate is myself!" Zap. I cried out and knocked into something with my head. I think it was Harry. I could hear crying. Hermione was crying for me.

Harry. "I tried to make friends with you, Harry! Remember on the train the first day? I wanted you to be in my house and be my best friend, but I messed up. _I_ messed it up!" Zap!

I could hear gasps of surprise from all sides. And cries of pain, oddly enough. Were they my cries? 

Ginny. I saw Ginny most vividly of all. My mind screwed up all its strength and screamed out. "I love you, Ginny! I love you!" Then I heard the words burst from my mouth and echo in the sweltering room. "I LOVE YOU, GINNY!" My eyes popped open and I saw a spike of bright silver energy fly from my chest and hit Voldemort. He cried out and fell to the ground, breaking the spell. He looked battered and defeated. I turned my head and found myself staring into the surprised green eyes of Harry Potter. "What happened?"

"We..we thought you were done for. He was sucking out all of this black energy and you were shaking and your eyes had rolled back… but then all of a sudden these silver beams of light would shoot right out of your heart and hit Voldemort in his. It hurt him so much, he could hardly keep tugging out your life-force. He would cry out and stumble backwards. You must have sent good energy into him. That's the only thing I can think of that would hurt him."

"Good energy? Me?" I struggled. My chains were coming loose. The magic holding them together was crumbling. "I had been thinking good thoughts, but…"

Hermione was getting free now as well. "Everyone has good in them, Draco. You just have to find it." How incredibly sappy! But maybe it was true. 

Meanwhile, Voldemort had absorbed my life energy and breathed it into the baby. It had started to whine and cry. It was now a living, breathing thing, made up of me, as well as Harry, Hermione, and Ron. It was like a part of us.

Ginny was still standing, but Voldemort was exhausted. He pulled himself up and started to mutter a spell very fast. "Come to me, life-force of Virginia Weasley, Heir of Slytherin!" Ginny just stood there as her life was sucked out of her body. Voldemort held out his hand to accept it, but shuddered. "It's PINK!" He was revolted. "It shouldn't be pink! It should be black."

Ron spat out at him. "What did you expect, anyway! She's one of the nicest people at Hogwarts!" 

"But she swam in the pool! I fed her part of my energy. She should have no good inside. She is a dark shell!" He tried to brush her life-force off his hands, but it stuck to him like sugar. That's what it was. Sweet sugar, clinging to an evil, painful cavity.

By now, I had gotten free. I knew that if the baby needed anything from us, it would be that pink energy of kindness and compassion. While he was busy trying to get Ginny's energy off his hands, I sneaked around behind him. I took a deep breath and shoved him in the back with all the strength I could muster. "Long live…ugh...GINNY!" I yelled, shoving at the same time. 

The Dark Lord flew forward and his hand came down on the baby. The pink energy was immediately absorbed into the child and he became rosy and fresh looking. He opened his mouth and gave a cry, very strong. Once Voldemort had gotten his balance, he shoved me aside. "NO!! He can not have that much goodness in him! He will be spoiled!" He started to chant rapidly, and his own life-force poured out of him and hovered over the baby. He was going to overpower Ginny's positive energy with his own negative filth.

I groped in my pocket for my wand, my body slowing down minute by minute. I had very little life left in me, but I had to take him out. He couldn't pollute that child.

There was suddenly a huge scream from behind me_. "Avada Kedavra!!!_" My heart nearly stopped and I dropped flat on the floor. I cringed as a great burst of green light exploded over my head. Voldemort was screaming in agony. He stumbled away from the baby, but grabbed Ginny up with him, dragging her along. 

Harry, Ron, and Hermione had all hit him with the curse at the same time. So why was he still standing? "Why didn't he die?" I demanded.

"He's immortal. The curse won't kill him. But it hurts!" Harry ran towards Voldemort. "Let's get Ginny and get out of here!"

The three of them swooped upon Voldemort, but he knocked them away, hugging Ginny to his chest. He had her wand out, and he was pointing it at her neck. They gasped and backed away.

Voldemort was panting. "You may have weakened me…but I will never leave you alone. Every day, you will fear me. You will remember what has happened here and you will regret."

I took a stab. "Yeah? Why? You're the one who's been hit with the death curse so much, he looks like he's been run over by a Muggle garbage truck!" Voldemort _did_ look pathetic if I do say so myself. 

"Because you will have had _loss_." He pushed Ginny out in front of himself and opened her hand. He lay her wand in it and closed her fingers around it. 

Ron's voice was all panic. "What are you going to do? Please…let her go!"

He let out a bloodcurdling laugh and turned her hand so that she was pointing her own wand at herself. "It's a shame, really. But we must teach you all a lesson, or you will never learn that good does not always triumph. Miss Ginny here is an example." He leaned over and hissed in Ginny's ear. "Go ahead, my sweet…end it."

Ginny looked at us, her eyes showing no more emotion than before. But she kept her wand pointed at herself and opened her mouth. "_Avada Ke_-"

There was a huge boom that nearly burst my eardrums. I covered my face as I was thrown off my feet. The next moment, I was flying through the air in front of a huge wave of flames. The room had exploded somehow. I soared through the air and landed in the hallway with a crash and a sickening thud. I felt about ten of my bones break and I screamed. I screamed for Ginny, for Harry, for anyone. 

I lay there, watching the flames fly out of the door of the room I was just in. It was like a thousand fireworks had gone off at once. I crouched low to the ground and cried in terror.

The person…or rather the thing that came to my rescue was a large black dog. It came bounding down the hallway and grabbed me up in its teeth. I was thrown up onto its back, to which I held onto for dear life. It ran through the house and leapt out a broken window. I plummeted off its back from the force of the landing and rolled along on the ground like a ragdoll. I lay there, panting and coughing, broken and bleeding. I turned my head to see Harry across the way with his arms thrown around the dog's neck. He was covered in bruises and cuts, but otherwise, he looked all right. Ron and Hermione were lying nearby, but they weren't moving. They couldn't be dead too! Too…Ginny was dead. She had killed herself with her own wand. 

An animal-like cry rose in my throat and I let it rip like I had never screamed before. "NOOOOO!!!!" I was aware of a black-haired man holding me around the waist, trying to keep me still as I attempted to crawl towards the burning house. I shrieked and screamed like a maniac. As soon as Ron came to, he added his agonized cries to mine. His baby sister was dead. He made a run for the house, but the man grabbed him and held him back too. The man wrapped his arms around both of us and Ron and I clung together in our misery. I saw Harry with his arms around Hermione, tears spilling down his cheeks. Hermione was nearly hysterical, and had her head buried against his chest, her fists gripping his shirt.

After what seemed like hours and hours, the Ministry arrived. The rest is a blur to me – a whirl of colors and voices. Hands prodding at me, voices demanding to know where You-Know-Who was and what I had had to do with it. Wanting to know if we had seen Arthur's daughter. I was finally rescued by Professor Snape, who lifted me into his arms as if I were nothing more than an infant. I clung to him, unembarrassed, trying not to let the flood of misery eat me alive. He carried me off to the side and sat with me, holding me tightly, rocking me slightly. I couldn't stop staring at the house.

I vaguely remember seeing Ginny's parents, their arms around Ron, as hysterical as he was. And I think of how much I would have liked to be in their family.

Professor Dumbledore went back and forth between all of us, trying to calm us.

Every Ministry wizard had his or her wand out and was fighting the raging fire with countless water and snuffing spells. Soon, the house was only smoldering, half of it just a skeleton of what it had been. The Riddle House was no more.

Someone made the suggestion that Ginny's loved ones should be taken somewhere else. They were going to go in and try to locate her body. I sobbed. They wouldn't even be able to bring her body back to us, what with all the flames in the room where she died. Snape smoothed back my hair and administered spells on me to ease the pain of my broken limbs. "Let's go somewhere else, Draco. You need medical attention and this is no place for Ginny's friends to be."

But Harry was gawking at the doorway of the half-burned out house. "Someone's coming out!" He yelled. He started to back away in terror. Dumbledore grabbed his and Hermione's arms and pulled them behind himself.

It was Voldemort, of course. Wands were drawn and everyone was ready to fight. But the blood covered, sooty figure that emerged from the doorway was not Voldemort, but…a red head. A small red head, clutching a baby boy with raven-black hair, and wearing a very torn up green robe. They were both covered in bad scratches and burns, but they were alive. The girl's hair blew out in the wind, and she parted her lips, breathing in the fresh air. The dark-haired man's eyes filled with tears. "L..Lily?" he gasped, staring at the girl.

Harry was gawking at her too, his mouth hanging open. You would think he had seen a ghost. 

Mrs. Weasley screamed out, "GINNY!" She took off at a run, trying to get to her daughter. I did too, as a matter of fact, but I collapsed on my broken leg. 

Ginny dropped to her knees on the ground, hugging the child. "I saved the baby…I think." Her eyes were brown and normal, though bloodshot from the smoke. She was back.

Her father had rushed up and scooped her into his arms. She clung to him and started to scream as pain took her over. Mrs. Weasley had taken the baby who was crying, but very much alive. Mr. Weasley took off at a run, Ginny clutched safely in his arms. In another second, he had climbed into one of the Ministry cars and it took off. Mrs. Weasley followed in the next one. 

I cried out. "Come back! Don't take her away again!" Dumbledore and Snape grabbed hold of my arms as I crawled towards the Ministry cars. 

"She's in danger of dying if she's not properly taken care of," Dumbledore explained. "You'll see her very soon."

Snape added, "You need help too." He scooped me up again and carried me somewhere. Where, I'm not sure. I closed my eyes and allowed myself to mercifully pass out. 

*~~~~~*


	19. Part Nineteen: Together Again

Draco's Desires

Part Nineteen

Together Again 

*~~~~~*

When I woke up, I was lying in-between Harry and Ron on a large bed. There were purple and blue waves rolling over us. We were glowing with the colors of our life-forces. Mine was now silver, I might add. I nudged Harry. "Hey, ugly bum! Wake up."

His eyelids flickered and he turned his head to look at me. There was a crack in his glasses and he had a big bruise under his eye. 

"Where are we?" I asked.

Hermione's voice drifted across the bed from the other side of Harry. "We're in some kind of special bed that's re-energizing us. At least that's what the nurse said. We're having the life put back in us. You've been sleeping the longest. She said you were nearly dead." She coughed. She still had smoke in her lungs.

I looked at Harry, who was nearly as burned and scraped up as I was. "How did you all get out of the house? I was thrown out the doorway, into the hallway. Then this big black dog picked me up, and…" I realized how dumb this sounded. "At least I _thought _a dog was there…"

"You saw the dog, all right. It was my godfather Sirius Black."

"That murderer?"

"He's not a murderer! And he's an Animagus. He can be both dog and human."

"Okay." I wasn't going to argue about it. So that's who the black-haired man was. Harry's godfather. "But how did you get out?" I was impatient. 

"Hermione, Ron, and I were thrown out of a window that was covered with black curtains to keep out the light. We smashed through the glass and flopped into the grass outside." He painfully rubbed his arms. "At least we didn't catch on fire."

"You're lucky. I think I flew through a _door_." I couldn't remember for sure, but I know I had splinters. 

"Ouch!"

"Where's Ginny? Do you know?"

Hermione spoke up. She had talked with the nurse, of course. "I think she's in a room down the hall. She's critical. They're working to fix the burns right now." 

"What about the baby?" For some reason I felt very attached to him and wanted to make sure he was okay. 

"Also badly burned. I don't know where he is."

Ron had been very quiet, but at this point I could hear him sniffling, trying not to cry. I lay back and let tears creep out of my own eyes. Critical condition. Burns. Possibly scars. Would she ever be the same? My poor little Ginny. And that poor little boy who was made up of so much of my life force. I closed my eyes to keep the tears contained.

We didn't talk much after that. We were all so tired. I woke up vaguely when a doctor came in and put spells on my leg and arm and chest to heal my broken bones. I groggily remember Harry and the others getting up from the energy bed. They must have been fairly restored, since they didn't have quite so much life taken from them as I did. I sighed miserably at loosing my company and let myself fall into a deep dreamless sleep.

I awoke again to the feeling of weight on my body. What was happening to me now? I was tired of being fussed with. I tilted my head down and saw a flaming red head on my chest. Ginny was there in the bed with me, lying stomach down on my body. I could hardly believe it. I lay my hands on her back, gingerly. "Ginny?"

She opened her eyes, lifted her head, and blinked at me. Oh, they were a beautiful brown color! "Hi Draco."

"Ginny!" I started to laugh and pulled her up higher so that she could look down at my face. "You're all right!" 

She smiled. "Yes, I'm all right. I'm really sore, though." Indeed, she was covered with bandages on about 70 percent of her body. I could see them wrapped around her stomach and chest through the thin fabric of the nightgown they had dressed her in. She was glowing with pink light. "They brought me in with you so I could have my life-force put back in my body. I couldn't just lie quietly. I wanted to be close to you." She wrapped her arms around me tightly.

"I'm not complaining." I made a strange giggling noise. I had never been so happy. I lay there with her on my chest for quite some time before speaking again. "Ginny…you know Harry's godfather…Black, or whatever his name was…do you know why he would have called you 'Lily'?"

She thought about this and then answered. "Harry came into my room a little bit ago. He took my hand and said something about how much I looked like his mum when I carried the baby out of the burnt up house. He and Sirius Black thought for a moment that maybe I was the ghost of Harry's mum Lily, carrying Harry as a baby, because…they thought I couldn't have survived."

"How did you survive?" 

"Well…it was fuzzy. I wasn't myself, so I was only partially aware of what was going on. I remember images, but not details. I know that I almost said the death curse on myself, but something stopped me. It was a ball of flame from the fireplace. It knocked me over on my face on the floor. My back got badly singed from the heat, but my cloak resisted the flames for the most part. The funny thing is, I was very glad the fireplace exploded, because I had been hoping something would happen for hours. I had been willing everything to just end. Anyway, Voldemort tried to pull me up to take me with him, but he had lost his mental hold on me. I stumbled away from him through the flames and grabbed the baby up, wrapping him in my arms. I burst through the wall of fire covering the doorway and ran into the other part of the house, just as my robe caught fire and ripped apart. My arms and legs and chest were burned, but I didn't care. I didn't even feel any pain. I rolled the baby on the floor and then myself until the fire was out of both of us. Then we huddled together in the other part of the house, waiting for help. I figure Voldemort and Nagini escaped." 

"I'm surprised you're not more burned!"

"So was everyone else. I guess I'm lucky that I was wearing the cloak, since it was so flame retardant. And the baby was in my arms, covered by the cloak fabric, so he wasn't very hurt either. My feet sure were burned, though. I can't walk on them yet." She gestured to her feet, which were wrapped thickly in white bandages. "I haven't seen my baby. I hope he's all right."

"He looked better off than you did. I'm sure he's just fine and dying to see you. You're his mother, you know."

She nodded. "Yes. And you can be the father!"

I turned absolutely scarlet. "Er…"

She hugged me around my neck. "Mum and Dad are just going to love you!" 

*~~~~~*

We stayed in the wizard hospital for two more days. The morning of the third day, our scrapes and mild burns were healing up well, and my bones were thickening and growing strong again quite nicely. Ginny was having problems with her feet and wouldn't be able to have full use of them for quite some time, since the shoes she was wearing had burned right into them from the intense heat from the flames. I shiver to think of it. But otherwise, she would not have any visible scars from the incident. The only mark still on her that was vivid was the black mark from Voldemort's touch. But even that was fading, although slowly.

On the morning of that third day, we were all loaded into a Ministry car and driven away. Ginny's father carried her to the car and situated her on the seat, but she became very excited and refused to sit anywhere but on my lap. This received some rather concerned looks from her parents, but in the relief of Ginny's recovery I supposed they would have let her sit on _Snape's_ lap if she had wanted to. 

We were on our way to the Burrow. Normally that's the last place I would have wanted to set foot, but now my home had taken over that role in my mind. There was no way I was going home. I loved my mother and I would miss her, but my father had tried to sacrifice me to Voldemort. There was no way I could face him and not try to kill him, so it had been decided that I would go to the Burrow with Ron and Ginny and Harry. Hermione was going home to her very relieved parents. But I was nervous. Would Ron accept me living under his roof? Harry seemed to think I was at least a little decent, but Ron still gave me cold looks. We had been bound together in the face of tragedy, but now that Ginny was alive and well, clutching her baby boy in her arms, I was Draco Malfoy the enemy again. But I smiled as I buried my nose in Ginny's sweet hair. Things had a way of working themselves out, and I knew that this something was meant to be.

*~~~~~*

__

Love, Lady Grizabella

setsuna_haruka_michiru@yahoo.com

The Second Story!! : "Draco Malfoy Promises To Be A Good Boy This Year"

The sequel to "Draco's Desires." Draco tries hard to stay out of trouble, but he and the others still manage to get into another hair-raising adventure that carries them farther away than they would ever want to go, with dire consequences. 


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